Since no one is likely to read my original comment on the past event's entry, i'm reposting it here.

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I was briefly at this protest and left soon after seeing the masks and the support of the black bloc.

I believe that the police involved in the brutality against protestors during the G20 should pay for their crimes. Whether we like it or not, protestors of the black bloc variety are doing more damage than good. No one can hear you speaking when you cover you mouth in black. This is a reality. If people are serious about creating something better (and the only way to do so is with a mass movement) then they must give up the ethos of violence. Show your faces; be proud of what you believe and speak it calmly and clearly. Practice non-violence. And surely don't support violence or those that perpetrate it. The last I heard there were 200 people at this march of solidarity. How many turned away when they saw the black masks? how many never showed up?

There were camera's there. I watched, as the only thing they focused on were the masked possie. If this protest does make it the mainstream media (which seems doubtful) what do you think they will talk about? Will they mention the valid arguments against the ridiculous 1 billion security budget for the G20? or will they show the men and women dressed in black? apparently in support of violent action. It doesn't matter whether you are or you are not for violent action, this is the image you are presenting. And no matter whether we like it or not, the media is built on images and sound bites. I would no more march in support of the black bloc than I would in the support of the blue bloc (as so many have cleverly called the police).

While there is significant evidence that there were agent provacatuers in the black bloc groups during the G20, there were others who gleefully smashed bank windows and shops. Do you think the owners of those banks care? There is insurance for that. You do nothing for the cause of Anarchy. You harm it. I truly believe that Anarchy, or Direct Democracy as I prefer to call it, is a better way. We do not need to smash windows, we need dialogue, and critical mass. Any sympathy for your arguments is immediately lost after the first brick is thrown. 

At this protest I became angry, in fact yelled at the first female speaker to take off her mask. For this I am sorry. I let  my anger get the better of me. But i feel so much frustration that something I truly believe in is being usurped by a violent few, dressed in black. 

If Direct Democracy is ever to be taken seriously we need a new image, new symbols, and a new way of speaking. 

It’s really too bad that so many so called pacifists don’t understand the concept of solidarity, and choose to only support that which they agree with. It is ironic that these same people seem to constantly push inclusively –rejecting the black block and militant action because it alienates people –when they themselves are basically saying “…If I don’t agree with you f-off, I’ll throw you to the dogs.”

In this whole g20 violence/non-violence debate when ‘pacifists’ are speaking about humbleness and peace I hear nothing but arrogance and intolerance.

The mainstream news coverage –what little of it there was anyway —in addition to sensationalizing the black block, and telling overt lies, CTV, CBC repeatedly showed the Warrior/Unity Flag. The Georgia Straight had accurate coverage and used an image of the Canadian Flag Burning as it's title picture. This imagery has been known to strike fear into the hearts of Canadians and rile them to violent attack.

The Warrior/Unity flag represents Indigenous Resistance to de colonization –a movement that is founded on the assertion that Canada, the government and the settler colonizers are living in an illegal occupation of Indigenous Land. Many at the G20 protests in Toronto, and solidarity rallies in cities across the continent were flagrantly Canadian, singing O Canada, brandishing adaptations of the Canadian Flag and bemoaning the betrayal of the ‘good Canadian way of life.’ Many native people are completely offended at this overt patriotism for a nation that has --and still is-- committing genocide against our people.

If Indigenous people can put aside those kinds of intensive conflicts for a few hours to show solidarity with people who clearly were at the brunt of  some nasty abuse by the Canadian State –then I should think any Canadian pacifist could do the same.

There were lots of people in that march who didn’t agree 100% with each other. And there were many people who do not participate in black bloc actions, but that day wore black and black masks as a demonstration of solidarity. There were also people there who had been in Toronto --some were arrested, some not-- who spoke at stopping points along the march. It was a 12 km march, and lots of people stayed to the end –that shows in and of itself, the heartfelt dedication people feel and their willingness to want to do something to stop the kind of repression faced in Toronto, and also by systems of exploitation like the G20. Part of that dedication is finding ways to work with people we may have to stretch to find common ground with.

If  some pacifists were unable to put aside their own narrow mindedness to participate in this march, it doesn’t bode well for their ability to participate in anything resembling ‘direct democracy.’

It’s too bad some people left because they couldn’t stand the site of people dressed in black with masks or a banner that read, “we are all black block.’ Because they also missed some quality time with the strong and diverse communities of resistance in Vancouver.