Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word black bloc. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word black bloc, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say black bloc in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word black bloc you have here. The definition of the word black bloc will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofblack bloc, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Any group of individuals who join a protest or demonstration, wearing black clothing including items to protect and/or conceal their faces and often engaging in violence and vandalism; the tactic of forming and participating in such a group.
It made perfect sense to Michael that the Berlin police would choose to infiltrate the Black Bloc, rather than the establishment leftist parties.
2012, Michael Truscello, “16: Social Media and the Representation of Summit Protests: YouTube, Riot Porn, and the Anarchist Tradition”, in Ted Gournelos, David J. Gunkel, editors, Transgression 2.0: Media, Culture, and the Politics of a Digital Age, unnumbered page:
The Black Bloc tactics emerged in Germany in the 1980s, and caught the attention of the North American public during the 1999 Battle of Seattle.
2012, Lesley J. Wood, Direct Action, Deliberation, and Diffusion: Collective Action after the WTO Protests in Seattle, page 34:
At the protests against the World Trade Organization in Seattle, activists formed black blocs, engaged in jail solidarity, built and marched with giant puppets, blockaded roads and buildings, danced at street parties, rode in Critical Mass bike rides, performed Radical Cheers, and used affinity groups and spokescouncils to make decisions.[…]In what follows, I consider the diffusion of black bloc, giant puppets, blockades, and jail solidarity to activists in six Toronto- and New York-based organizations.
Usage notes
Authors often define the term as signifying a tactic rather than a coherent group, emphasising that the group has no distinguishing characteristic or purpose other than the tactics employed.
