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.