Anarchists call on people to demonstrate on May 1 not as a Black Block, but as a colorful group. And it is right to break the dogma.

Hamburg Anarchists Should Throw Their Hate Hat Out The Window This Year – Let's See How Colorful It Really Will Be Photo: Ralf Hirschberger/dpa

HAMBURG taz | Is this already a revolution? Hamburg anarchists ask that on May 1 people leave their black hoodies in the closet. And the black Hassi and the black pants too. Yes, should you come naked? No, anarchists are still miles away from hippies. But this year they want to give their May demonstration a different expression: colorful and diverse. The “May Day Black-Red” group requested it through their social media channels.

For five years now, the “Black-Red May Day” anarchists in Hamburg have regularly registered their own Labor Day demonstration. Uniform: always black. In recent years, anarchists have also organized their own bloc in the more colorful demonstration of the Alliance for Redistribution “Who's Got the One”; here too the entire variety of the dress code consisted of, at most, different shades of black; If a red fabric and two white stripes were visible here and there on the shoe, that was the height of colorful splendor.

Now the anarchists would like to try something different, write to the short message service. “We want to try to make anarchism, in its diversity and inclusion, more accessible to broad sectors of the population.”

As they want to fight side by side with all the oppressed, this year they want to offer more opportunities for connection with the outside world. Confrontational situations, loud noises, and limited visibility are often especially deterring for marginalized people. “For us it is clear that it is not possible to reach the total barrier of poverty, but if we can get a little closer to it, we want to try,” writes the newspaper “Primero de Mayo Negro y Rojo.”

There are certainly good reasons for the uniform appearance of black. Protecting one's identity from police cameras or political enemies are valid arguments that have led to this demo tactic being chosen in the past. But anarchism is more than just the Black Bloc. This year they want to give more space to creative ideas and take alternative social concepts for solidarity to the streets.

The colorful expression as protection.

And there is another reason for the new dress code: what was originally intended to protect against repression has become the complete opposite under the Hamburg police. The Black Bloc provokes, and of course they must and are allowed to do so, but the police use this to harass leftists and attack them with violence. On May 1, a participant in the anarchist demonstration at the Schlump subway station was injured so severely by a police officer that he suffered a traumatic brain injury.

That's a bullshit reason, but understandable. Of course, the police should not hit leftists on flimsy pretexts or be provoked by their unified behavior. But it is understandable that leftists no longer want to risk their health when they demonstrate.

The understanding that blacklock can have an exclusive effect on undocumented, traumatized, or physically disabled people is correct. That's why it's usually just one demonstration tactic among many. However, a fairly white male dominated one that requires physical fitness.

The base color will remain black.

It is right to tear down dogma and question it. Whether the anarchists can win the hearts of the population immediately will be seen in the next step, and perhaps the next.

First of all, you have to see how many people follow the call and show up to the demonstration in a really colorful way. After all, you don't have an unlimited choice of colors in your wardrobe. But you'll have to be prepared for some purple and leopard print leggings, and you'll probably see the occasional dark green hoodie, too. The fact that the base color will still be black will not be as noticeable. That's good, after all, black is just a color.