In Pictures: Black Bloc a mystery in Egypt protests

An unpredictable new element has entered Egypt’s wave of political unrest: a mysterious group of masked young men called the Black Bloc who present themselves as the defenders of protesters opposed to President Mohammed Morsi. Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters

Their emergence has raised concerns even among fellow members of the opposition, who fear the group could spark Islamist retaliation or that it could be infiltrated to taint their movement. Islamist supporters of President Mohammed Morsi call the bloc a militia and have used it to depict the opposition as a violent force wrecking the nation. Khalil Hamra / AP Photo

The bloc’s appearance comes amid increasing opposition frustration with Mr Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, and the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists who critics say have imposed a monopoly on power. Khalil Hamra / AP Photo

The Black Bloc models itself after anarchist groups by the same name in Europe and the United States that have participated in antiglobalisation and other protests the past decade. Khalil Hamra / AP Photo

“We are the Black Bloc ... seeking people’s liberation, the fall of corruption and the toppling of the tyrant,” proclaimed a video announcing the group’s formation, posted online Thursday. Khaled Desouki / AFP

In Egypt, the group’s secrecy and self-professed dispersed structure make it difficult to determine its actual scope. Mohamed Abd El Ghany / Reuters

Members say the group was created in response to December 4 clashes, when Brotherhood supporters attacked a protest sit-in outside the presidential palace, touching off hours of street battles that left at least 10 dead and hundreds injured. Mohamed Abd El Ghany / Reuters