A Letter to the Black Block of the Occupy Movement

Dear Black Block

The spring is upon us. We of the Occupy Movement are facing a momentous season. We are already rededicating ourselves to the cause of smashing the standing hierarchy and seeking to usher in a new paradigm of true democracy. As we move into the warmer weather our movement gains momentum and support from all walks of life in this country. Even among the 1% we can find pockets of support and approval. Some say that our movement cannot stand to take part in violence. They say this for both practical and principled reasons. I do not know if this is true. What I do know to be true, is our movement cannot withstand thoughtless actions.

As a revolution we are in our infancy. The ideals of equality and the reclamation of our freedoms ring true amongst so many people, yet many of those people still stay home; unable or unwilling to brave the risks that direct action presents. We need the active support of such people. We need to inspire them to action. The question is how.

Mohandas K. Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. provided a road map on how to spur people to take to the streets. Their methods were non-violent, and they were brilliant. I would ask you to consider them as we move into the spring and to consider why such methods were effective.

First of all, it is a mistake to think that non-violent resistance was used by these men strictly out of some moral compulsion. This would be a discredit to these leaders and their ilk. Gandhi, MLK, Rosa Parks, Caesar Chavez, Neru and all of their brethren understood something about their opponents. They understood that they were physically stronger, and that they were not inherently tyrannical. Tyrants will fight for power above and beyond anything, including survival. Tyrants are not rational actors. This was not true of the oppressors that our subjects faced. The goal of non-violence is not to gain the sympathies of those who directly oppose you. The goal is to gain the sympathies of those whom they depend on for support. Protestors who allow themselves to be the sacrifice on the alter of freedom, find ever increasing support. While Protestors who fight against those the public perceive as civil servants who are also of the 99% find ever vanishing support.

Think of the fury raised over the UC Davis videos, or of the Brooklyn Bridge arrests, or of Ofc. Bologna pepper spraying peaceful young women. The outcry there was louder by a degree of magnitude over anything said about the fires set outside of occupied buildings, or the outcry over the virtual warzone created at the suggestion that a bottle had been thrown by the Occupiers in Oakland. This is because when we raise our fists against an enemy we can't possibly beat and who many hold as being of our number, we are inherently being self-defeating. When we stand strong, and walk knowingly into the line of fire without arms, we become the sacrifice that the nation can rally behind.

I want you to know that I am not a pacifist, I am a pragmatist. If the time ever arises when violence becomes apropo, I will stand with you. In as fragile a position as we are, this is not that time. We must be the wrench in the machinery, not the bomb dropped on the factory.

That being said, when such a time comes we must be thrifty with our resources, and always keep our goal and our foe in mind. The Police are tools of an oppressive regime. As intelligent activists, surely you can see the benefit of using the tools of the enemy against them. We do this whenever we use the bathroom in a McDonald's or organize using an Ipad. The Police are people and of the 99% as are any of us. Many of them are inches away from tossing down their shields in disgust at what they are ordered to do. These people will not be won by throwing bottles.

You might say to yourselves “fine” or “We don't need them” but I would call your attention to the uprisings in Serbia, Egypt, and to a lesser extent Libya. In Serbia, Milosevic was caught when his secret police refused to support his oppression anymore. In Egypt, the Army's refusal to turn on the people gave them the legitimacy and support thy needed. Even in Libya, the tide of the battle turned when soldiers began defecting.

I admire your enthusiasm. I share your rage. But if we fail to act intelligently at every turn, our fledgling revolution could end before it gets off the ground. We have what may amount to the last great opportunity to save our democracy. We cannot let our passion for the cause lead us into rash decisions or we will end up in disaster.

-Zach J-D