The (Lack of) Power of the Violent Few
Chapter 2 examines whether protesters’ motivations and the presence of the “violent few” can lead to violence in protest marches. The chapter first discusses how some protest groups, often dubbed the “black bloc,” are frequently viewed as motivated toward physical violence per se and are commonly assumed to be solely responsible for it. Yet the goals and influence of the violent few on violent clashes are often misinterpreted. A first section sheds light on who the violent few are. It shows that their key motivations, often associated with either anarchism or destruction for fun, in fact lie elsewhere and that their presence alone is not sufficient for clashes. Further sections discuss what the violent few want and whether they have the potential to stir up the crowd, as police and media often assume. A last section broadens the discussion to the overall impact of peoples’ motivations for the outbreak of violence.