On Black Block – A Las Barricadas

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The problems we have in BB are tactical. Most people participating usually have no idea how to act, what to bring, how to move as a group, and usually have no spine.

Equipment.

You need protection from blows, gasses, and impacts. (Maalox is a efficient tear gas antidote.) You need to keep together to avoid encirclement, and arrest, you need create a barrier zone by pelting the pigs so they keep a good distance and can’t deploy in front of you, and you need barricades to slow them down, and stop traffic in the area. This makes for fear and confusion among pig ranks.

You need a solid front-line, I cannot stress this enough. By front-line, I mean the very front bunch of people facing ahead. You need at least seven people with strong shields to hold the line and deflect projectiles and keep the pigs from attacking the softer targets in back.

If shields aren’t available, tape and secure pipes or wooden sticks inside the banner to make an articulated shield.

Barricades guard your flanks and slow pursuit by attacking forces. Campfires, benches, cars anything that congests traffic is wonderful. You want as much congestion as possible.

A barricade can be made out of anything, but if you want more time to retreat if shit goes bad, add oil or marbles.
The oil makes it easy to create an instant barrier zone with slippery movement issues, the marbles injure the hooves of pig horses, and they roll around everywhere causing trouble.

A word on Molotovs

First off, You want cheap thin bottles that smash easily on being thrown, but not when dropped from waist height; Otherwise there’s a chance they’ll bounce.

Second off, fill the bottle 2/3rds full. This ensures a broken bottle on impact.

And third off, cooking oil is cheaper than and as effective as motor oil, and gets into more places.

The tactical use of molotovs is multifold. One use is to create a visual and thermal deterrent to the police deploying in front of the you or to your sides by throwing Molotovs between them and us. Pigs may wear armor, but they’re still human, and humans fear fire.

Another use is after the cops have drawn blood. Destruction of police vehicles via Molotov to the back seat and fuel intake is an effective way to escalate things. And watching police dance like a damned soul all aflame is still a beautiful thing.

Now for how to act.

BB is a /collective/ action. There’s no hierarchy and no real structure. Just a mass of individuals united under anonymity. If you get a guy trying to start shit with other BB or yelling, “No violence!” He’s the sort you try and stop. What right have you, as an anarchist to impose moral rules on the collective? Secondly, leaders are fine in a pinch, like a kettle forming that needs to be charged or a section weakening that needs to be reinforced. Bosses are right out*. Also, try and supply others with aid and de-arrest those captured, as later they’re more likely to assist you.

*A leader is picked up and carried by the people of their own free will. A boss intimidates others into doing his bidding.

Slings and Suggested ammo:

Slingshots can be made easily, or bought from sporting goods stores like Canadian tire or mil-surplus places.

Get the hardiest bands and draw you can. Daiseys are good for practice, but aren’t as reliable as they look.

Most of the people in the back must have a hand sling, why? Because they are common, and in concert can drive away pigs like a storm of hornets. The front line serves as cover for the back and serves to keep everyone together.

Ammo suggested is both hard enough to pack a punch, yet indubious enough to pass a search as long as it and the slingshot are in different places. Don’t want to draw dots for pigs to connect.

Stale large gumballs, scotch mints, marbles, decorative stones, stale jelly beans, stale wine gums, and paintballs.

The gumballs are ideal for armored pigs as they will bruise bare flesh and shatter upon hitting armour and street alike.

The paintballs are great for those full face visors to reduce vision, making aiming harder; the marbles and deco stones are for breaking pig windows and cameras, to annoy them and hinder their efforts to arrest us out of Black.

via : barricadasblog.wordpress.com