Confessions of a Black Bloc Member: ‘The Gravest Issue is the Submission to Islamism’

TESTIMONY – He dedicated twenty-five years to the far-left cause, joining black bloc groups. He was violent, he looted, and he destroyed property, convinced he was fighting capitalism. Disillusionment with ideological drift and concessions to Islamism led him to abandon his cause. He recounts his tumultuous past, which he now fully acknowledges. Confessions of a Black Bloc

The meeting occurs within the quiet walls of a bar discreetly located in the capital. He arrives dressed entirely in black, as he often used to, chilled from cycling through bad weather. He seems both sincere and emotional. The conversation begins almost as a confession from a man seeking atonement for his past. Twenty-five years in all. This represents the majority of his adult life, marked by violence. Gaspard*, now in his forties, was part of the black blocs—extremely violent and highly mobile far-left groups notorious for their destruction. These masked and black-clad individuals infiltrate protests to burn shops and public property on the fringes of demonstrations. They are particularly infamous for confronting law enforcement with stone-throwing and improvised weapons.

Gaspard is a pseudonym he chose for this interview, referencing his former “comrades” with a touch of humour and sarcasm. “Only an Antifa or black bloc would call themselves Gaspard,” he jokes. “In all those years in that circle, I was mostly surrounded by Gaspards, rich kids. The others were offspring of former ‘hippy 68 activists, teachers, or trade unionists. They live comfortably but try to play revolutionary. They burn McDonald’s façades but have no issue eating a Big Mac after ditching their protest gear. All leftists,” he says with a burst of laughter, “love McDonald’s!”

Unlike many of his peers, Gaspard wasn’t born with a silver spoon. He grew up in a housing estate in the suburbs. His commitment to the anti-capitalist cause, he describes, was sincere and deeply rooted in a politically conscious family firmly aligned with the left. “That’s all I knew. I fell into the far left when I was very young. It was inevitable. I spent a lot of time with my grandfather, who used to recount stories of the Popular Front at family gatherings. Every Sunday lunch revolved around the left. It was almost like we prayed to Léon Blum. There was no debate about how to vote—it had to be as red as possible. If anyone dared suggest that the right had good ideas, they’d get a steak thrown in their face!”

The Beginning of the Cause

Raised on these values, the teenager grew up believing it was necessary to join the fight against the capitalist oppressor. His involvement began tentatively, unsure how to enter the nebulous world of activism. He started with graffiti, vandalising walls and storefronts, then joined others in wrecking ATMs. Eventually, he found himself masked and part of the protests. “It happened gradually, one action leading to another,” he explains. “It started when I was 14, as I became more ideologically and politically structured. I became a black bloc, focusing on destroying symbols of capitalism and creating TAZs (Temporary Autonomous Zones) by occupying spaces. I did this for twenty-five years, completely convinced of my cause.”

For nearly a year, Gaspard has distanced himself from this violent, far-left environment. He describes waking abruptly from a stupor as though under the sway of a cult. The emotional weight is evident; he struggles to hold back tears while explaining his journey. The magnitude of the betrayal he felt was profound. “After October 7 and the Hamas attacks in Israel, I hit a wall—the antisemitism that emerged. The most appalling part was the capitulation to Islamism. These people have a romanticised view of jihad, with a dangerous fascination. Hearing them equate barbaric acts to Resistance fighters was intolerable.”

A Painful Awakening

The shock of this realisation made mere withdrawal from the violent far-left circle insufficient. Gaspard embarked on introspection to rebuild himself. He does not disown his past; instead, he confronts it to move forward. His honesty is both touching and unsettling. He makes no effort to downplay the violent acts he participated in during protests. He describes in vivid detail how each operation was organised. “I wasn’t an antifa,” he clarifies. “Their speciality is hunting down far-right extremists. Those guys are dangerous and have always scared me. They’ll stalk someone and attack them ten-on-one. The anti-globalist, anti-capitalist far-left is divided into various affinity groups: antifas, Trotskyists, black blocs, radical environmentalists, and so on.”

He continues, “I was a black bloc. After breaking things and playing the revolutionary Che Guevara, I gained approval and ended up at G20 summits with groups from all over Europe. These operations are meticulously planned. Reconnaissance happens beforehand. Leaders—rarely older than 30—gather in secret locations to make strategic decisions, assigning people and targets. I often wondered if there were leaks from political circles, as they were too well-informed. They knew exactly where key figures stayed and targeted their hotels to vandalise or even set them on fire.”

Organised Chaos

Life as a black bloc required logistical and tactical organisation. Looting was not random but served practical purposes. According to Gaspard, high-end shops were destroyed but not ransacked; opportunists did that. “A black bloc member carrying a Louis Vuitton bag is likely planning to burn it, film the scene, and share it online. The ‘men in black’ steal with a code of honour—it must serve the cause. Sports stores are targeted for clothing because we layer up during protests to discard identifiable gear. Supermarkets are looted for food and hardware stores for tools like hammers and pliers to break shopfronts. Fire extinguishers are emptied to clean crime scenes, preventing fingerprints or DNA evidence.”

After the chaos, the protesters systematically destroyed their clothes to avoid identification. “We’d burn everything and calmly blend in with other demonstrators, acting like nothing happened.”

In a final act of defiance against his former ideology, Gaspard founded a business. He proudly identifies as a “terrible capitalist” and fully embraces his break from the far-left. “The extreme left, particularly certain parties, has dismantled secularism by aligning with Islamists. These people are a threat to the country. I will never forgive them for this betrayal.”

*Name changed for anonymity. Article translated from Le Figaro