G20 Toronto photo gallery: the black bloc in the core

For hours yesterday, downtown Toronto became a riot zone after peaceful demonstrations turned violent. This morning, as repair and clean-up continued, many blamed black bloc rioting tactics for the destruction. Bloc groups are hard to define: they are amorphous mobs with members dressed head to toe in black. Individuals can move in and out of larger groups, disappearing almost as quickly as they materialized. In the case of Toronto’s anti-G20 riots on Saturday, the bloc was reportedly composed of members of the Southern Ontario Anarchist Resistance, as well as compatriots from Quebec who drove in to participate in some of the weekend’s protests. Here, a sample of the group’s destructive handiwork and its aftermath.