May 1st: “Violence is ontologically linked to black bloc identity”

Published on May 3, 2025 at 12:28 p.m.

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After the violence of May 1st, Xavier Crettiez recalled that, according to him, "black blocs are not a structured movement": "It is a technique of action which consists of grouping together in a temporary group of activists during a coordinated action which will target individuals or places designated as enemies." Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium / Le Pictorium/MAXPPP

During the Paris May Day parade, the Socialist Party was attacked by black blocs. For Xavier Crettiez, professor of political science at Sciences Po Saint-Germain-en-Laye, these activists see violence as a legitimate means of fighting capitalism and its collaborators.