Black Bloc Takes to Cleveland Streets Monday Night

Black bloc members take part in a demonstration against the upcoming Rio2016 Olympic Games
CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP/Getty Images
Lee Stranahan

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTIONS, CLEVELAND — Members of often-violent Black Bloc led police around the downtown area for nearly an hour on the first night of the GOP convention.

The Black Bloc worked in conjunction with street-theater leftists at Code Pink to lead the police on what was ultimately a wild goose chase. The tactic is common: Different contingents of the activist left working together in coordination to create diversions for law enforcement.

The specifics last night involved a large group of Black Bloc protesters gathered outside the exit that delegates leaving the Republican National Convention would be using at about 11 o’clock Monday night.

If the Black Bloc intended to intimidate delegates, they were immediately thwarted by a large contingent of law enforcement that made a very public appearance close to the exit as well as providing a human passageway through which delegates could get to the street.

Then the diversion tactics began as the activists attempted to get away from law enforcement.

A member of Code Pink held up a sign and began telling other members, “Let’s go!” and waved them down the street with her hand. The Code Pink protesters followed her and were immediately followed by members of the Black Bloc. Law enforcement officers followed on foot, unclear as to what the groups were intending to do or where they were going.

After a few blocks, the two groups split which had the effect of dividing the officers following them. Code Pink went to the left while the Black Bloc continued on towards a bridge in downtown Cleveland that spans the Cuyahoga River. Breitbart News followed the Black Bloc group, which was still being trailed by a now smaller group of law enforcement. Also following the group were legal observers from the National Lawyers Guild, looking for police infractions and working to legally protect the protesters.

After a few blocks, the Black Bloc protesters all mysteriously stopped in an alley and stood against the wall. This continued for about 10 minutes, at which point, law enforcement for some reason decided to stop following the group.

With law enforcement gone, the dozens of Black Block members began moving towards the bridge, with the National Lawyers Guild observers still trailing.

Breitbart News stop trailing the Black Bloc as they went down in a dark area near the bridge. About 15 minutes later, the Black Bloc emerged again and made a threat towards another reporter before vanishing.

It is unclear what the Black Bloc was doing, but given the fact that Monday was the first night of the convention, it simply could’ve been a test to see how police would respond.

The most important night of the convention will come Thursday when presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump will speak.

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