The Black Bloc has been seen en masse at protests across the United States for over two decades. In Europe it has a longer history. Luis Enrique Marquez asks if it’s effectiveness is diluted.

Luis-Enrique Marquez

We need to retire the black block, it’s no longer useful for our purposes. It has become a target for law enforcement, and a joke to our enemies.

Black Block is a tactic, not a group, not an ideology, and it should be used when it’s needed which is to say it should not be used at each and every protest. It’s a tactic that only works when a group decides to use it,- for the reason of engaging in property destruction, or physically engaging with our enemies- the more involved the safer every one becomes so individuals cannot be identified and therefore cannot be arrested and put through the brutality of the capitalist criminal justice system.

Optics are also important, sadly people in the United States see humans dressed head to toe in black – they become fearful, set on edge expecting that person to do something dangerous. They do not see the person underneath, nor the heart that person has, and the reason is they have been conditioned since the Viet Nam war to see everyone dressed in black as the enemies bet on causing destruction and death for fun.

Antifascism does not mean Black Bloc, it’s important to understand that many use this tactic, from militant leftist- tot the extreme violent right wing trying to infiltrate leftist actions and cause mayhem and pain, making people think that the left is violent.

We need to be fluid like water, if the State is looking for people dressed in black, then we need to adapt and change tactics.

Today’s World allows for people to wear masks and not be noticed- As long as they are dressed and blend with the population. This will allow you to do what you need at actions and have a better chance at getting away, as the State will not be looking for people in black.

Without numbers black bloc or any other color of bloc will not work to our advantage, Please remember as antifascist we should blend with the populations we live within…that way they never will know how many we are.

Luis-Enrique Marquez recently released his new book Antifascist: A Memoir of the Portland Uprising 2016-2020