‘Nobody can stop them’: Who are Europe’s Black Bloc protesters?

Black Bloc groups have appeared at demonstrations across Europe, where some participants have clashed with police and damaged property. Their actions can disrupt otherwise peaceful protests and shift attention from the social and political demands organisers want to raise.

The label describes a loose tactic rather than a single organisation: participants wear black clothing and face coverings to avoid identification, with no known leaders or membership list. The approach emerged from Germany’s autonomia movement in the 1980s, though similar dress and tactics have also been used by far-right groups. Recent incidents in France and Italy have involved fires, vandalism and looting; an Italian MEP said some appeared to be copycat behaviour, while investigators would determine the facts.