I love a good Riot. Being tear gassed in Bolivia, seeing dynamite thrown about by angy farmers and thinking how it good it would be to be back in London smashing shit up. Then i came across this. Not naming names but if he was there you can bet there were a whole bunch of of kids i used to work with doing the same.
Gasmasks and Balaclavas anyone?
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You used to work with Heath Ledger? Black bloc, light it up!
What a bloody media fest though. Those first few photos are ridiculous. Five angry ferals, three punks, and 400 cameras clicking away. Take away the media and you’re probably left with a pretty minimal crowd.
Jaz Coleman was doing exactly the same stage paint 25 years ago and is still smearing it on the last time I saw Killing Joke a few years ago.
For those with longer memories the three days of S11 had thousands on Melbourne streets and the evening of Tuesday 12 September 2000 was IMHO, far uglier than these G20 photos.
Watching the Black Block in action in Canada (circa 2000?) was by far the most shit scared ive ever been. Seeing them threaten to beat the shit out of a council worker for not driving his tractor throgh the barricades was intimidating enough, then i almost got slaughtered for taking photos. Then the petrol bombs came out… these guys dont mess about
Rioting: Serious Business
All part of the strategy I suppose. It’s sort of taking the techniques used against you (power in numbers, intimidation, brute force, etc) and using them for your own ends.