For those of you thinking of joining the bloc, or unsure of what the bloc is, here is a run down of an autonomous bloc, and what we hope to achieve on the day.
An autonomous space is a place in which is free from outside governance. All decisions in the space are made democratically and everyone has a say in what happens. Autonomous spaces can appear in many ways, such as a squatted social centre or communal allotment.
An autonomous bloc on a demonstration reserves the right to make it’s own descisions and demonstrate in a way the participants feel is appropriate, not governed by the demands of stewards or police. The bloc is run on anti-authoritarian principles so there is potential for every participant to influence the actions of the bloc.
Being part of an autonomous bloc can be an empowering experience in which you have the chance to feel like you are shaping your own demonstration in what you see as a constructive manner, rather than having it shaped for you.
On a wider scale, autonomous blocs provide a small example of what a decentralised, self managed community could look like and provide practical demonstrations of the process of consensus descision making.
If you want to protest in your own way, and not be constricted by authority figures dictating the way in which you choose to register your dissent, find us at the demo and feel free to join in.
See y’all Saturday!