THE RISE OF THE ‘ANTIFA’

The rise of the 'antifa': Combative leftists and self-described anarchists who are ready and willing to use violence against neo-Nazis and the alt-right

By Hannah Parry

Daily Mail
August 16, 2017

Hailed as Nazi-fighting heroes by some, or violent hooligans no better than the supremacists they oppose by others, whatever you think of antifa, the movement is rapidly on the rise.

Antifa, short for anti-fascist or Anti Fascist Action, has been around since the 1920s where it emerged as a response to the growing Nazism spreading across Europe.

Since then, they have existed mainly on the fringes, but have gathered in force over the years to oppose racist, violent fascist groups, from clashes with Nazis on the streets of Germany, Italy, and Spain in the 1930s, to taking on the skinheads of the 1980s.

Now as America's extremist right wing groups become emboldened and more vocal under President Trump, the anti-fascist movement have had a huge boost in popularity as people join the ranks of the left wing group to oppose the alt-right.

The result is clashes on America's streets, the likes of which have not been seen since the civil rights marches of the 1960s.

Once seen as rather extreme left wing faction, the antifa are generally anarchists who believe the best way to take on the alt-right is through direct action.

'We are... in the fightin' Nazis business,' said Antifa member and The Nation journalist Natasha Lennard, in a piece titled 'It's time to make Nazis afraid again.

'Antifa is a promise to neo-Nazis and their bedfellows that we will confront them in the streets; we will expose them online and inform their place of employ. We are not venues to deny space to far right events; we are vowing that all far-right events will be bombarded and besieged.'

Antifa-aligned journal It's Going Down warns that members 'have to organize to defend ourselves' against the alt-right.

'If we allow the alt-right and neo-Nazis to organize in our communities, the consequences will be fatal,' they wrote. 'Charlottesville is just the beginning.'

'We have to stand up to white supremacists, we have to shut down and chase out these bigots every time they try to organize, or else they will kill more people. The police will not protect us.'

They even have an article, titled 'So you want to join the resistance?' with tips on becoming an antifa member and anarchist, such as the advice to 'support all resistance against the state.'

Neo-Nazis and left wing activists have been fighting on the fringes of society for years.

But as white supremacist groups becomes emboldened under a president, who not only has support from the alt-right, but refused to condemn the Unite the Right protesters at Saturday's deadly Charlottesville rally, where a white nationalist plowed into a crowd of counter protesters, antifa has also found itself growing in popularity.

Some of their recent actions have become internet legend, such as the moment on Inauguration Day, a masked activist punched the white-supremacist leader Richard Spencer, and have found mass support in the mainstream left.

After the punch an instant meme, Twitter was flooded with viral versions of the video clip set to music, prompting Barack Obama speech writer Jon Favreau to tweet: 'I don't care how many different songs you set Richard Spencer being punched to, I'll laugh at every one.'

Portland, Oregon, has seen some of the worst clashes as the city, a mainstay of liberal, antifa activists, went up against neo-Nazis in a state which once had the highest Ku Klux Klan membership rate in America.

Following Trump's surprise election, masked protesters held demonstrations which saw store windows smashed and vandalism across the city. Violence erupted at a Rally for Trump and Freedom in the suburb of Vancouver after activists threw smoke bombs.

They have clashed again and again since then, including at a June rally, which featured alt-right's Kyle Chapman, who shot to internet fame for attacking an antifa activist with a wooden post. Antifa responded by throwing bricks until the police dispersed them.

Yet, while many of the alt-right have become YouTube stars or infamous in their own right, members of antifa generally prefer to keep out the limelight, wearing helmets, face masks and body armor at demonstrations which not only keep their identities anonymous, but presents an intimidating front for their enemy.

Other headline grabbing confrontations include when protesters shoved controversial conservative political scientist Charles Murray when he spoke at Middlebury College, in Vermont, in March, and the huge, and violent clash between antifa and the alt-right after they prevented former Breitbart.com editor Milo Yiannopoulos from speaking at UC Berkeley.

Their main criticism of antifa, aside form the violence, is that by forcing venues to cancel right-wing speakers, and nationalist demonstrations, they are denying First Amendment rights and acting like the very authoritarian dictators they stand against.

Trump supporter Joey Gibson, who organized the rally in Portland in June, told The Atlantic his 'biggest pet peeve is when mayors have police stand down. (Antifa) don't want conservatives to be coming together and speaking.'

But the stakes only appear to be escalating, as Gibson - as well as other conservative groups in Portland - announced they were bringing in far-right militia to deal with protesters.

And as the alt-right continues to flourish under Trump and his allegedly racist rhetoric, these clashes are only going to get bigger and bloodier, as antifa rises to meet the growing threat.