An organized masked mob who wreaked havoc on a Hamilton neighbourhood over the weekend employed strategies similar to those used during the 2010 G20 riots in Toronto.

The group of 30 people, brandishing a banner that read “We Are the Ungovernable,” donned black clothing and face coverings to conceal their identities — a tactic called “black bloc,” said police Insp. Paul Hamilton on Monday.

After smashing a handful of storefront windows with rocks, lighting fireworks and setting off smoke bombs, they fled — some on foot and others by vehicle — from Locke St. S. Saturday night, ditching their clothing after the unprecedented attack.

Police fanned out in the area, but the group’s tactics made them tough to track, Hamilton said.

“They’ll strip off their black clothing and now they’re wearing something orange, and then they go down another street and they strip that clothing off, and it becomes very difficult,” he said. “Our immediate concern was for the public safety.”

Police believe they have recovered pieces of clothing, some tucked at the top of neighbourhood driveways, as well as information about some of the getaway cars used, but no arrests have been made.

Who is responsible for the attack and what their motives are is not clear, but police have said they are investigating a possible link to an anarchist book fair that took place in the city over the weekend.

Given that police had no indication this attack was coming, Hamilton believes it was planned and had “some organization to it.”

A sign saying “We Are the Ungovernable” was also displayed at a local rally against police brutality four years ago.

It was around 9:30 p.m. Saturday when the first signs of trouble appeared in Durand Park on Park St. S., as police responded to a “mischief” call. Two officers arrived at 9:45 p.m. to find a large group forming that was hostile toward police and started chucking rocks at the officers.

As police called for backup, those who’d gathered fled.

Not long after, police started getting calls about a masked group in black gathered at Aberdeen Ave. and Queen St. South.

The group started marching west, throwing rocks and setting off fireworks, while police followed at a “safe distance,” being pelted by stones.

Faced with something he had never seen in his 28 years with the force, Hamilton, who was the duty officer Saturday night, had to make a decision.

“I immediately directed officers, unless persons were being injured, to stay at a safe distance, monitor and we would bring in the necessary resources to confront this group,” he said.

Police set up a command post at Locke and Herkimer Sts. around 10:15 p.m.

After a quick briefing, more than 30 officers from around the city — a contingent made up of police from the emergency response unit, the tactical and ACTION teams, mounted patrol and a K9 officer — started making their way north on Locke.

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That was when the group dispersed near Pine St.

Hamilton city Councillor Aidan Johnson said neighbourhood residents have many questions, including about the chronology of events and how police responded.

He noted police Chief Eric Girt will be at the Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association meeting Tuesday night to address some of the concerns.

Hamilton assured the police response would have been different had people been injured.

“Officers would have rushed in,” he said. “We wouldn’t have been able to hold them back.”

“But in a situation like that where you have a large, unruly group ... if we don’t have a measured response to that ... it’s going to become out of control very quickly, and we’re going to probably make it worse,” he added. “Our goal when we go into something (is) we go in there and we finish it, and we have to have the proper resources to do that.”

Two days after the attack, police continue to canvass nearby businesses and homes for surveillance video, comb through social media and speak with witnesses.

It will take time for police to analyze all of the video, trying to identify those responsible, Hamilton said, noting investigative services, divisional detectives and the intelligence unit are involved in the probe.

An Ontario Provincial Police spokesperson said she could not recall their service responding to an event “remotely close to this” at least over the past six months.

While police have not made any “solid connection” to the anarchist book fair held at Westdale Secondary School over the weekend, they continue to examine the possibility.

“That’s obviously going to attract people from out of town,” Hamilton said. “It’s a lot safer for somebody from out of town to commit something like this and take off.”