Pacific Northwest Anarchists Call for “Black Bloc Revival” Ahead of National “No Kings Day” Protest
Executive Summary
A post on the anarchist website Death Throes has issued a call to action for anarchists and antifascists across the Pacific Northwest to mobilize on October 18, 2025, during the nationwide “No Kings Day” protests. The post explicitly rejects the main demonstration’s nonviolent framework, urging participants to “get back to our roots” and reconstitute a “black bloc contingent” in Portland. This represents an organized attempt to reintroduce militant tactics into a large-scale protest already assessed by Semper Incolumem analysts as carrying a high threat level for violence and armed confrontation.
Key Judgments
1. The online anarchist call to action signals renewed interest in violent direct-action tactics within the Pacific Northwest’s extremist scene.
Evidence: The Death Throes communiqué urges anarchists to form a “black bloc contingent” and “show them what antifascism really looks like,” while denouncing the primary “No Kings Day” march as a “liberal pacification” effort organized by “feds.” This rhetoric mirrors pre-2020 mobilization language used by Portland anarchist groups before property destruction and clashes with police.
2. The overlap in timing and geography with the “No Kings Day” protest increases the risk of infiltration, escalation, and clashes with law enforcement or counterprotesters.
Evidence: The Semper Incolumem No Kings Day threat assessment highlights Portland as one of several high-risk urban centers due to prior incidents of armed counterprotester activity and low law enforcement tolerance for black bloc formations. Any visible militant bloc could prompt a rapid and forceful police response or serve as a flashpoint for confrontation.
3. Online anarchist networks continue to exploit mainstream protest movements to re-legitimize disruptive street tactics under the cover of mass participation.
Evidence: The Death Throes post calls for reclaiming protest space from “liberals” and explicitly references historic “bloc” actions, which traditionally involve masked collectives engaging in vandalism, barricading, or attacks on police infrastructure. Such messaging seeks to recruit disaffected activists frustrated with nonviolent protest strategies and redirect them toward confrontational participation.
Analysis
The Death Throes communiqué represents a deliberate effort to re-energize militant protest tactics in the Pacific Northwest by leveraging the visibility and scale of the national No Kings Day demonstrations. Portland remains symbolically significant for U.S. anarchist and antifascist circles: the city was the epicenter of the 2020–2021 protest wave that shaped much of the current generation’s activist identity and operational tactics. References to the “days where one hundred or more blocced homies showed up” explicitly invoke nostalgia for those confrontations, signaling intent to replicate that dynamic.
The rhetoric framing the “No Kings” organizers as “feds” and “liberal pacifiers” illustrates a familiar ideological fissure within left-wing protest ecosystems. Historically, such divides have led to parallel marches or internal friction that heightens confusion and raises the likelihood of confrontation with police or counterprotesters. By appealing to “diversity of tactics,” the post attempts to normalize both peaceful and violent methods within the same movement, complicating crowd control and threat assessment efforts.
Law enforcement agencies in Portland, Seattle, and Eugene should anticipate potential small-unit black bloc mobilizations capable of opportunistic vandalism, clashes, or diversionary actions timed alongside the main demonstration. The return of even a modest bloc presence could trigger outsized security responses, given the lingering institutional memory of prior unrest.
This call also fits within a broader resurgence of anarchist online coordination. Platforms like Death Throes and Unsalted Counter Info have reemerged as regional propaganda and networking hubs, facilitating the distribution of tactical guides, zines, and communiqués tied to direct-action campaigns against infrastructure, surveillance, and policing. While the October 18 post does not specify operational plans, its publication just days before a major event suggests synchronization with existing protest logistics, allowing adherents to blend seamlessly into larger crowds.
In practical terms, the likelihood of serious property damage or police confrontation in Portland on October 18 is medium to high, contingent on turnout and law enforcement posture. The broader “No Kings Day” threat environment—already assessed as high risk for armed counterprotester activity—means any anarchist-led escalation could rapidly spiral into chaotic or violent confrontations. The convergence of ideological factions, armed right-wing counteractors, and tense police-community relations creates a volatile mix requiring proactive coordination and clear de-escalation protocols.