The “Black Bloc” and Using Violence in Egyptian Politics: An Interim Development or a Continuous Phenomenon?

The “Black Bloc” and Using Violence in Egyptian Politics: An Interim Development or a Continuous Phenomenon?

This assessment analyzes the conditions in which the “Black Bloc” groups have risen. They are groups of masked people who engage in acts of violence. Their activities surfaced during the second anniversary of the events of Jan. 2011. The assessment links these groups to the post-revolution state of violence in Egyptian society. These groups are concentrated in three governorates. The assessment concludes that the rise of these groups opens the door for the rise of similar groups in the future, because some revolutionaries may give up the hope of achieving change through peaceful means.