Editing WOMBLES (section)

== Beginnings ==
The WOMBLES formed as a group in the early 2000s in London. The name stood for White Overalls Movement Building Libertarian Effective Struggles.<ref name="City">{{cite journal |last1=Hodkinson |first1=Stuart |last2=Chatterton |first2=Paul |title=Autonomy in the city? |journal=City |date=22 January 2007 |volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=305–315 |doi=10.1080/13604810600982222|bibcode=2006City...10..305H |s2cid=143032260 }}</ref> Activists who had witnessed first hand the tactics of the [[Tute Bianche]] in Italy decided to use similar methods of protest in London. Tute Bianche ('White Overalls') had formed in 1994 and were known for storming barricades whilst dressed in comical padded outfits and helmets to protect themselves from police violence, as for example at the [[27th G8 summit]] in Genoa.<ref name="Protestival">{{cite journal |last1=St John |first1=Graham |title=Protestival: Global Days of Action and Carnivalized Politics in the Present |journal=Social Movement Studies |date=September 2008 |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=167–190 |doi=10.1080/14742830802283550|s2cid=219698298 }}</ref>

The preferred tactic of the London [[anarchist]] group was to steal an estate agents 'For Sale' sign, fold it up and wear it under the trademark white overalls.<ref name="HQ">{{cite news |last1=Peel |first1=Lilly |last2=Ward |first2=Helen |title=Inside Wombles' HQ with Target H |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/inside-wombles-hq-with-target-h-6328773.html |access-date=24 November 2019 |work=Evening Standard |date=1 May 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009152514/http://www.standard.co.uk/news/inside-wombles-hq-with-target-h-6328773.html |archive-date=9 October 2015 |language=en}}</ref> The WOMBLES were involved in protests during several May Day events in the early 2000s,<ref>{{Cite web|author=Guardian Staff|date=2001-05-01|title=The London May Day protests at a glance|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/may/01/mayday.immigrationpolicy|access-date=2020-12-21|website=The Guardian|language=en|archive-date=2020-11-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129023941/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/may/01/mayday.immigrationpolicy|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2004-04-30|title=May Day protest issues still burn|language=en-GB|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/3667987.stm|access-date=2020-12-21|archive-date=2020-10-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022161109/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/3667987.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Peterson|first1=Abby|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ju0yDAAAQBAJ&q=WOMBLES+in+May+Day+events+year+2000&pg=PA155|title=The Ritual of May Day in Western Europe: Past, Present and Future|last2=Reiter|first2=Herbert|publisher=Routledge|year=2016|isbn=9781317017356|pages=155|access-date=2020-12-25|archive-date=2022-01-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128071441/https://books.google.com/books?id=ju0yDAAAQBAJ&q=WOMBLES+in+May+Day+events+year+2000&pg=PA155|url-status=live}}</ref> including the [[2004 Dublin May Day riot|protests in 2004]] in [[Dublin]].<ref name="Dec1">{{cite web |last1=McCarthy |first1=Dec |title='Looking back on the Dublin EU summit protests - Mayday 2004' |url=https://www.anarkismo.net/newswire.php?story_id=486 |website=anarkismo.net |access-date=24 December 2021 |archive-date=24 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211224145553/https://www.anarkismo.net/newswire.php?story_id=486 |url-status=live }}</ref>