Black bloc basics

Black bloc is a street protest tactic used around the world. It’s used especially in places with a strong and radical protest culture.

Participants in a black bloc try to look the same, so cops can’t tell them apart. They cover their faces so they can’t be identified. To do this, they wear plain black clothing.

The basic elements of black bloc are: black balaclava, oversized plain black hoodie, plain black pants, black runners.

The clothes shouldn’t have any visible logos or artwork or anything on them. They should be plain black. You can cover logos with black tape. If you don’t have a balaclava, you can use a T-shirt instead.

It’s good to also wear black gloves and generic sunglasses, so you don’t have any skin showing. It’s important to at least cover all identifying features, including:

  • Your face
  • Your hair
  • Tattoos
  • Piercings and jewellery
  • Your body shape (wear oversized clothes)

Every time you attend a street protest, you should wear black bloc. Wearing black bloc makes it harder for cops to target people. It also helps to build a stronger and more radical protest culture.


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Blockading “with bunnies”

Whilst there are many tactics that can be deployed to cause disruption without any arrests there are still plenty of tactics u may choose to use where someone does anticipate getting arrested, this person is often called a “bunny”. For example someone who locks themselves onto a logging machine and plans to stay there as long as possible could be referred to as a “bunny”.

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