Ten years ago they eyed each other with hostility, to the point that their presence was no longer welcome in the Val di Susa. The anarchists who today swell the ranks of the Black Bloc — the direct heir of the Black Blocs that until the early 2000s were protagonists of urban guerrilla warfare in various cities — have now returned to walking the paths leading to the Turin-Lyon construction sites and have stormed them. Accompanying them are Marxist antagonists, close to them only in their anti-capitalism and anti-fascism. The alliance between the anarchists and the autonomists has thus been reinforced, the latter having always been tied to the No Tav movement.
Saturday's attacks on the construction sites, particularly the one at Chiomonte, represent less a return than a confirmation of what was already seen on January 31st in Turin, during the violence that broke out on the occasion of the eviction of the Askatasuna social centre: in that case too, the two factions were united against law enforcement.
While investigators into the assaults have no doubt that Askatasuna's coordination was involved, it is equally certain that the anarchists played a leading role, thus healing a rift that arose when the insurrectionist libertarians wanted to advance the struggle against the Tav through sabotage.
The more movement-oriented faction, which prevailed, opted instead for demonstrations involving the Valsusa population, without excluding actions against what are called "fortini" (fortified outposts). The autonomists invested heavily in the fight against the High Speed rail line, paying for this choice in terms of arrests and trials, but at the same time finding in the Val di Susa a community that welcomed them and never dissociated itself from their actions. Precisely because of the repression, many antagonist leaders of the No Tav movement have, at least officially, disappeared from the scene, and the number of activists has decreased considerably compared to the past.
The new Black Bloc, however, has no leaders. Within it there are Italians, but also many foreigners, particularly French, given the proximity. Tasks during the assaults are pre-established: some tear down fences while others, using umbrellas, obscure the view of law enforcement drones. Some fire rockets with homemade mortars and others throw stones. But the level of confrontation has surged: on Saturday, numerous Molotov cocktails and other incendiary devices were used, as had not been seen for some time. Unlike in the past, within the Black Bloc there are also those who take photographs, which are then published on social media — the only claim of responsibility for what is done. The No Tav movement, on the other hand, continues to have spokespersons and uses press releases and press conferences.
