Antifa (1932- ) is an anti-fascist movement made up of those on the far left who believe in violence. It was started in the 1930s by German communists to stop the rise of Hitler. In the 2010s it is now fighting the rise of Trump.
- Headquarters: none.
- Numbers: unknown.
- Catchphrase: No platform for fascists.
- Symbol: the double flag (red and black in the 2010s).
- Clothing: black, with face partly covered (to hide who they are from the police).
So far in 2017 in the US:
- January: punched alt-right Richard Spencer (pictured above).
- February: broke glass and set fires to stop alt-right darling Milo Yiannopoulos from speaking at Berkeley.
- August: protected Cornel West and clergy at the Charlottesville riot.
They aim to stop fascism “by any means necessary”. And sometimes by means unnecessary, like using violence even at protests where the left hugely outnumbers the right.
Who is fascist? In the US, Antifa seems to mainly apply the term to White nationalists, those who believe the country should be by and for White Christians: neo-Nazis, the alt-right, Trump supporters, etc.
Free speech: Antifa does not believe in freedom of speech or the right to peaceably assemble for fascists. They see the fascist message as so powerful that facts and reason and open debate are powerless to stop it. After all, it was through democratic means that Hitler and Mussolini rose to power in the early 1900s.
Violence: One Antifa believer put it this way:
“You fight them by writing letters and making phone calls so you don’t have to fight them with fists. You fight them with fists so you don’t have to fight them with knives. You fight them with knives so you don’t have to fight them with guns. You fight them with guns so you don’t have to fight them with tanks.”
Doxxing: In addition to violence, they also use doxxing – outing fascists to their employers and landlords.
In the 1930s, Antifa fought against fascists in Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain. In Britain they claim to have stopped it in 1936 at the Battle of Cable Street in London’s East End.
In the 1980s, Antifa rose again, in Britain, Germany and the US. They have since spread to Sweden, Denmark, Australia and Greece. In Greece they fought against Golden Dawn. Antifa began in the US in 1988 as Anti-Racist Action (ARA, pictured below).
In 2016 their violence at events where Trump spoke brought them to the attention of the US government (FBI and DHS). It reportedly sees them as “anarchist extremists” who practise “domestic terrorist violence” and are becoming more violent. Although Antifa says it has no leadership or headquarters, the US government believes they are made up of a network of cells.
Noam Chomsky on Antifa:
“When confrontation shifts to the arena of violence, it’s the toughest and most brutal who win β and we know who that is. That’s quite apart from the opportunity costs β the loss of the opportunity for education, organizing, and serious and constructive activism.”
– Abagond, 2017.
Sources: mainly Newsweek, New Yorker, Washington Examiner, RationalWiki, Democracy Now!
See also:
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Reblogged this on Project ENGAGE.
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I love seeing that dirtbag Richard Spencer get punched out.
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@ Abagond
If you decide to do more time travelling, perhaps the early or mid-1930s would be a interesting locale, given what’s going on presently?
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In these volatile times when the country is so polarized i am learning I must not be a political illiterate, learning what the alt-right is and other white supremacist groups are and learning about the agenda of this current administration has been quite eye opening for me. Learning so much since the inception of this new administration and it’s evil agenda. I can’t afford to sleep ignorance is not a thing of bliss in these scary times.
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I wonder how many “Antifa” who use “violence” are actually police and government agency provocateurs out to smear genuine anti-Fascist activists?
All of the sources cited are center-right to center-left. That includes the much vaunted Democracy Now!. I was an avid listener of DN for years before I realized how they have been slowly shifting rightward to please their foundation donors.
I have heard and read actual Black Bloc types explain why they were willing to include direct action, even direct action that includes violence. Their rationale came down to using a variety of tactics to achieve their aims.
On one podcast, there was a heated exchange between the Black Bloc and more traditional left activists, where they argued the merits of a variety of tactics versus the traditional left who felt violence in any form was never an option.
What I gathered from that exchange is that Black Bloc types are mostly frustrated youths who lack historical perspective and are focused on short term tactics (actions) at the expense of long term strategy (plans). Understandable for persons driven by energy and testosterone.
The minority of activists who are actual Black Bloc and not just paid provocateurs also may not understand the power of propaganda to crush a movement that challenges a government and media establishment bent on maintaining the status quo——-or tilting ever farther right.
π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄π΄
A cursory internet search five pages deep showed article after article labeling Antifa as “domestic terrorists”, “on par with street gangs”, projecting rightwing attitudes and methods onto Antifa and other assorted pearl clutching. Only a couple of articles (links below) out of fifty went deep in to Antifa history and motivations. Only one was a site where a local Antifa group (Rose City Antifa) spoke for themselves.
I don’t agree with Antifa’s purported methods. I think a more discerning approach is to listen to them and discount the media false equivalence propaganda. People are free to condemn Antifa as they choose. Yet, I wonder where was real pushback during the long decades of rightwing hate radio and organizing that created the toxic political scene we witness at this moment in history?
More Antifa history: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/05/antifascist-movements-hitler-nazis-kpd-spd-germany-cold-war
An article where Antifa activists discuss their point of view:
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/04/anti-racist-antifa-tinley-park-five/
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i don’t want this anarcho-syndicalist movement representing me anymore than trump,
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The Anti-fa movement seems extreme and could turn dangerous when violence is interjected. Two wrongs don’t make a right. I am against racism and fascism dominating our country. With that being said I hope there are other solutions for fighting these evil entities.
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Antifa is leaderless and is composed of diffefent cells who are primarily anti fascist.
In Berkley though they (black block) did go after conservatives since no nazis showed up to speak and shut them down.
In Huston both Antifa and BLM are working in the reilef effort.
Because it’s decentralized it can’t be controlled which is why the DNC and some liberals have come out against it. Conservatives oppose it and libertarians are split with left supporting but right opposing.
As Afrofem mentioned its possible that there are some who are agent provocateurs. It’s also probable that some people joined for the oppertunity to break things and hurt people. That happens in leaderless structures.
Supposedly there is an Antifa affiliate fighting in Syria. I can’t tell if it is fake news or not but some ancoms think they are being backed by the CIA.
This also brings up free speech and I have mixed feelings about that.
My FB friend George Godwyn lays out a good argument why Nazis are not entitled to free speech.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1797489156947628&id=100000596833677
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My original link is broke, swap out with this one.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1935124890100282&id=100008083698763
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I’m so torn. I’m against violence as a tactic, but I could watch that clip of Richard Spencer getting punched all day.π π
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@Solitaire: We are on the same page about that roach Richard Spencer getting mushed in the mug.
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You know with this business with the Alt-Left (Antifa) and Alt-Right and the stuff in Charlottesville a few weeks back.
I’m just chilling and letting the Average Racist White People fight the Very Racist White People.
Let them slaughter each other.
Reminds me a few weeks back Nazi Christopher Cantrell who was at Charlottesville fighting Antifa, was real gangster on TV bragging about their terror attack and then was crying about an arrest warrant
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABOVuI0zRcQ)
What you crying for ? You’re a bad ass ain’t ya ? He was talking all that good sh*t on VICE.
Now he wanna cry like the btch he is. This is the same man who said he was βready for violenceβ This is same man who said all nggers and Jews must die..
And then a Jew and brother cop was beating on his door next day with an arrest warrant.
https://media3.giphy.com/media/l2JdSLO6jCy8xMMKc/200.webp#19-grid1
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There are a number of false Antifa sites on FB. Antifa Boston has been exposed as a site run by altright trolls. The page uses propaganda effectivly by mixing ligitimate Antifa content with made up material showing Antifa as violent.
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“Antifa (1932- ) is an anti-fascist movement made up of those on the far left who believe in violence. It was started in the 1930s by German communists to stop the rise of Hitler.” The ‘history’ here sounds shaky to me. To begin, the black and red flag is associated with anarchists, not communists. in 1932 the German communists were pushing their “third Period” agenda that identified Social-Democrats as ‘Social-Fascists’ thereby dooming any united stand against Hitler’s goons. They even thought that after Hitler they would take power! People on this forum don’t like violence, but I’m sorry to tell you that you won’t dissuade fascists with words because they are warriors, not speech makers. The most intelligent take on this subject is Trotsky’s Fascism: What it is and how to fight it
https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1944/1944-fas.htm
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The problem is Nazis arent interested in discussions, free speech and coexistance. They just want a license for violence.
Anybody who looks at Nazi Germany and appreciates the holocaust and that becomes the reason for their political beliefs is a dangerous individual and a menace to society.
Its like bringing a bunch of rabid dogs to a dog park and thinking they will just stay to themselves.
Genenerally speaking though violence is only justifed in self defense. It’s not acceptable to punch people simply because you disagree with them.
That said anybody marching around with swastikas and dressed for violence needs to be forcibly removed before Nazis can commit acts of violence.
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“Genenerally(sic) speaking though violence is only justifed(sic) in self defense. Itβs not acceptable to punch people simply because you disagree with them.”
BULL. Violence is used to intimidate an opponent, shut him up and make sure he keeps his trap shut. The problem with punching that guy is that it makes Mary Burrell feel good but doesn’t intimidate all the other little Richard Spencers out there or Richard Spencer. Fascists understand the power of intimidation, people like Chomsky don’t.
“Noam Chomsky on Antifa:
The whole point of fascism is to destroy “…education, organizing, and serious and constructive activism.” With that kind of mentality why bother getting out of bed, you’ve already lost? Fascists can be intimidated like everybody else as the Bolshevik revolution showed. Chomsky is correct that one has to be tougher and more brutal than they are. Antifa isn’t.
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@ gro jo
The post does not say they were black and red in the 1930s. In fact, it shows them as being both red back then.
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βGenenerally(sic) speaking though violence is only justifed(sic) in self defense
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Grojo said,
βGenenerally(sic) speaking though violence is only justifed(sic) in self defense.”
My point is that violence is only justified in self defense.
Antifa and the citizens of Charlotteville were morally justified in using force to evict the Nazis there in self defense.
The Nazis used free speech protections as a trojan horse in order to create a “safe space” for them to commit violence.
Their use of “free speech” is different then protecting the open dialog of opposing or dissenting ideas.
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“Grojo said,
βGenenerally(sic) speaking though violence is only justifed(sic) in self defense.β”
No, he did not. He was quoting you!
“The post does not say they were black and red in the 1930s. In fact, it shows them as being both red back then.” The post implied a direct descendance of today’s Antifa from the Roter FrontkΓ€mpferbund[1] German: [ΛΚoΛtΙ ΛfΚΙntΛkΙmpfΙΛbΚnt], “Alliance of Red Front-Fighters”), abbreviated RFB. I don’t see it. I know political history isn’t your strong point, but claiming that present day anarchists were/are communists is rather sloppy of you.
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Maybe I’m dense Grojo but I am not understanding your point. Expand on that.
Are you saying violence towards Nazis is permissible as that is the only thing that stops them ?
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Maybe I’m dense Grojo but I am not understanding your point. Expand on that.
Are you saying violence towards Nazis is permissible as that is the only thing that stops them ?
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Reblogged this on League of Bloggers For a Better World.
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That’s exactly what I’m saying. All this talk of self defense is simply an attempt to couch an ugly reality behind anodyne sounding words like “self defense”, it doesn’t mean much when your opponent is hellbent on destroying you physically. Make no mistake, that’s the fascist agenda.
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Antifa using a variety of tactics is one thing. Having no overall strategy to the tactics puts them on a slippery slope to failure. At this point they seem to be merely reacting to fascists.
Antifa’s actions remind of a passage in Sun Tzu’s book, The Art of War:
In this age of internet spying and reconnaissance, broadcasting your calculations on a website or on social media is as bad as having no calculations at all.
Antifa’s adversaries certainly used all available resources, as shown by this article:
https://www.propublica.org/article/white-supremacists-joked-about-using-cars-to-run-over-opponents-before-charlottesville
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They’re like antinazis vis a vis the antichrist.
@mjb that article from fb your friend it made some interesting points but the guy is a bit passionate i suppose
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@mjb wrong. Cells implies top down management and infrastructure not ‘leaderlessness’.
Now there is #fbianon? Bold flagrancy? Wierd deepthroatesque intrigue? Does it matter?
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At V8driver
My idea of a cell. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaderless_resistance
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I think every black community should have armed sleeper cells made up of people you know and not advertise it.
Organized groups like the Black Panthers and the Heuy Newton Gun Club likely have FBI informants or provocateurs.
Artical from the L.A.Times:
βRedneck Revolt, an armed leftist group that brought rifles to Justice Park, one of the spots where anti-racist groups had gathered: βAt many points during the day, groups of white supremacists approached Justice Park, but at each instance, Redneck Revolt members formed a unified skirmish line against them, and the white supremacists backed down. Most of the groups were not easily identified, but at separate points, contingents from Identity Evropa and the Proud Boys were recognized. The groups that threatened the park yelled racial and homophobic slurs.β
Unlike Antifa, Red Neck Revolt showed up with assault rifles. Thatβs the only thing coward nazis, supremacists understand.
I am not distressed that some on the left are arming. There needs to be a counter force in place.
If society devolves and polorizes then people who would never identify as supremist or nazi will be the ones poc need to worry about.
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Hope Antifa sets up in India currently under Hindu fascists.
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@ Rukhi
I understand your point. Modi and the BJP have caused a great deal of suffering of Indian citizens. The currency changeover wiped out a lot of household wealth. Additionally, there is the intensification of abuse of the Dalits and Tribals.
Antifa in India would have to homegrown to be effective.
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Ok mjb interesting but it is once something its a sociological term too ‘reaches critical mass’
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Eh nagpo what is it tamiszat
“Hope Antifa sets up…”
Yeah, well that’s why — well it’s a meme; leaderless, i just don’t buy that.
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[…] via Antifa β Abagond […]
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