Please note this photograph does not depict a Black Bloc Protestor, merely a masked protester

Rocketing back and forth across the Internet’s photography boards  and news sites is a story about Black Bloc attacking photographers.  In short, during the Wild Cat March on May 1st certain elements of the anarchist group Black Bloc attempted to destroy photographers cameras, noting that “one of their cameras could pay your rent.”  Several scuffles were reported where protesters grabbed cameras and struggled with photographers.

Anarchism as a political philosophy is quite different than anarchism as it commonly understood.  The general perception of an anarchist as a violent opponent of civilized society, destroying property and combating the police is an individual acting on his or her own personal interpretation of the philosophy in a manner quite similar to violent religious fundamentalists interpreting religious texts as an excuse to attack differing views.  Contemporary anarchism believes in a stateless existence where communities exist by mutual consent, much of Occupy’s organization is loosely modeled on an Anarchist Collective, without clear leaders or hierarchy.  When one speaks of Anarchists within the Occupy Movement, one needs to differentiate between these two types of individuals.  I say this because just as not every Muslim is a terrorist, not every fundamentalist Christian advocates blowing up abortion clinics, not every Occupy Protester is an anarchist.

The aforementioned do share a single commonality, however, in they all exert a disproportionate influence on their group’s public perception.  The deeds of a few have far reaching repercussions in how the whole is viewed by outsiders.  The actions of Black Bloc, a very small minority of the Occupy Movement will irreparably damage any hope of the greater society accepting the quite laudable goal of greater equality for all.  Attacking the photojournalist, the majority of whom are freelance and independent reporters sympathetic to Occupy donating their time, talent and equipment to aid in disseminating the group’s message is cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face.

Speaking personally, these events have dramatically changed how I will cover Occupy events in the future.  As an independent, I do not have a larger media organization to supply the tools I use and replace damaged equipment.  I suspect many other photographers will be reluctant to risk their cameras and lenses, as treasured as any musician’s instrument,  if they fear they will be destroyed.

There has always been a certain risk in covering these events, where the police have shown little interest in distinguishing between media and protesters, yet there are channels to make valid claims against the government for destroyed equipment where the government has a vested interest in making restitution.  (Not always easily, or willingly, but generally speaking if the police destroy your camera, you have some chance of reimbursement.)  If the protesters destroy your equipment, you will not find such a road to redress.

This underlines the inherent logical fallacy in all anarchist thinking.  The State, as it exists in America, for all of its notable flaws,  has a vested interest in promoting the common good.  Laws are crafted and avenues are laid for the people to redress their grievances against the government.  The dangerous and naive philosophy that people will generally do what is right or in the common good is disproved by the very existence of the people who purport to hold that ideal the highest.  Anarchy as a political philosophy demonstrates an utter willful ignorance of human history, sociology and psychology.

At no time in recorded human history have large groups of humans been able to peacefully coexist for long periods outside of the stabilizing influence of a government.  The laughable idea that we as a species will simply choose to do right by one another is debunked by endless repetitions of broken systems and flawed societies attempting to put this nebulous concept into practice.  The actions of a tiny minority will always upset any equilibrium in lawless organizations.  (Lawless literally, not illegal.)  It is simply our all to human nature, to act in our interest rather than the group’s.  This latest stupidity, attacking those supporting the cause is for me, the last nail in the Occupy coffin.  While I continue to agree with the underlying cause, addressing the inequality rampant in the current system, I simply cannot continue to support something based on such illogical thinking.

True change in the United States has always come through open and transparent movements, willing to sacrifice their own personal freedoms to enhance the freedoms of the whole.  (Imagine if the NAACP started attacking the young white students who traveled to the South to support it, Or if the Gay Rights movement beat up straight supporters?)  The Occupy Movement continues to demonstrate its leaderless structure cannot control its own people and keep the damaging elements in check.  The constant attempts to “occupy” a space show the movement fixated on their own personal freedoms and not those of the society they seek to improve.  The actions by the small few attacking the press fundamentally undermine the credibility of the whole, and become an antithesis to what they allegedly stand for.