Tute Bianche

"[1] Central to the Tute Bianche movement was the Italian Ya Basta Association, a network of groups throughout Italy that were inspired by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) uprising in Chiapas in 1994.

The Tute Bianche philosophy was based on a specific reading of Italian political/social history, including the idea that the traditional protest tactic of marching and "bearing witness" to power had outlived its usefulness, and a more confrontational militant form of non-violent protest was required to not only re-invigorate the anti-globalization movement but also to redefine how street resistance is understood.

This philosophy includes the occupation and creation of squatted self-managed social centres, anti-sexist activism, support for immigrant rights and refugees seeking political asylum, as well as the process of walking together in large formations during demonstrations held in the streets, by force if necessary in case of clashes with police.

The first North American variant of the Tute Bianche, the NYC Ya Basta Collective wore yellow overalls rather than white.

A British group calling itself the WOMBLES (White Overalls Movement Building Libertarian Effective Struggles) adopted the Tute Bianche's tactics.