Destroying property is the only thing that changes anything? how about educating people, organising in radical democratic ways? Youre either out of reality or some police people trying to divide us some more. I mean, property destruction is what authorithies base themselves to repress some more and buy new military-style gadgets for police. Property destruction is what Genoa beef squads used to justify the IMC bust and GSF bust. No property destruction, no ammo for police and media repression of us. They already have their own ammo, lets not give em more. Wake up

The Black Block have served their purpose well.

First off, it is important to send the message that people are willing to take to the streets and directly attack those responsible for an inequitable world.

Now that they have shown that we are willing and able to fight back, they no longer serve a fucntion within the movement.

When violence flairs at protests, its is usually the police and not the black bloc that is responsible.
The black block defends protesters, often un-arresting them as was the case in quebec.

These kids are really atnding for something they believe in and that is commendable.

However, the attacking of private property is immature and counter productive. That said there is a big difference between private property and your local Mac Donalds. Some guys family store should not be touched. As far as banks, car dealerships, starbucks, Mac Donalds, Nike et al.... since they are such as major part of world inequity, they have made themselves targets.
In Quebec, banks, gas stateions and corporate outlets were attacked, no peoples businesses were. The message of corporations being targets is productive and, even beneficial to smaller businesses.

The black bloc is a part of the "movement" a part whose necessity may vary but a part none the less.

The message that we are no longer willing to idly sit by while the powers that be destroy ouyr earth and civilization is important, but having already been said, it may be time to move on from merely feeding the media.

It is important that we distinguish between destruction which serves a purpose and that which doesn't and may indeed be counterproductive.

The best example of the former would be Jose Bove's dismantalling of a McDonalds (particularly as he then took it to the police station) or Ploughshares people daubing messages on a missile truck. A specific Genoa/Black Block example is the people who smashed the window of a Lufthansa shop and then wrote, "Stop Deportations" next to it. These actions all send out a clear message and will do a small bit to hinder the activities of the various facist organisations which were targetted.

An example of the latter would be attacking a working class families car. This may send out a message about the environmental destruction of such vehicles but ignores the factors which force people to use cars (crap public transport, lethal pedestrian walkways).

I understand that there are now two factions within the Black Bloc, those who attack specific targets and those who revel in random destruction. The former would usually have my support, the latter certainly would not. The Bloc must adress these divisions particularly in the light of allegations of agents provoceaturs and facists in the Genoa Black Bloc. If these divisions grow and the violence becomes more random, it will only serve to alienate those people who advocate non-violent protest even more than they are already and could potentially destroy this great movement of ours and stop it achieving all that it is capable of.