Antifa

Antifa

Antifa (from Anti-fascists) is the name of dozens of interconnected direct action social anarchist groups that together form a designated terrorist organization that claims to "oppose fascism". They largely exist to engage in violent anti-free speech demonstrations targeting right-wing opponents. They have been involved in many street battles that have led to some injuries and even shootings including several "Battles of Berkeley". Labeled by some pro-white critics as a "Jewish communist militia", some Antifa groups appear to be financed by George Soros, whose organizations are accused of planning and controlling the group's protests.

Proponents of Antifa trace their roots back to the emergence of fascism in Italy and elsewhere in Europe in the 1920s, and claim their movement began as a reaction to those events. They further claim to be "fundamentally against the right of fascists to speak and be heard." They use revolutionary socialist and communist rhetoric, and are influenced by militant anarchism, but form a separate movement.

Antifa demonstrators were very active during the 2017 Unite the Right rally, engaging in many acts of violence against the previously authorized right-wing and far-right demonstrators, who sometimes fought back. One protester associated with the Antifa movement was killed when a vehicle driven by a far-right activist plowed into the crowd, and many were injured. Rally participants claimed the driver was trying to escape left-wing activists attacking his vehicle, while the counter-protesters claimed it was a deliberate terrorist attack. The victim became a martyr to some members of the Antifa movement. In May 2020, Antifa activists participated in coordinated left-wing and anti-white riots that broke out across the USA during the social disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 31, 2020, president Trump declared that Antifa would be designated a terror organization in the USA.

Controversies surrounding Berkeley rallies

Analysis suggesting Berkeley Police Department fired on demonstrators

On April 15, 2017, supporters of President Trump and Antifa clashed on the streets of Berkeley. However, there are claims that members of the Berkeley Police Department used stun grenades and smoke bombs on the crowd in an attempt to incite violence.These claims arose after Thomas Wictor analysed many of the videos uploaded to Youtube. Berkeley's mayor allegedly endorsed the local Trotskyist-sympathizing Antifa group BAMN.

At another Berkeley confrontation between left-wing and right-wing demonstrators on August 27, 2017, Antifa protesters called for open borders and an end to any plans to build president Trump's proposed border wall, among many other left-wing demands. Some were heard chanting "No USA at all".

Also see

• Anti-fascism (movement), historical and post-World War II movements opposing fascism
• Antifa (United States), an American political movement
• Anti-Fascist Action, a British group
• Antifaschistische Aktion, a German group whose name means "Anti-Fascist Action"
• Antifascistisk Aktion, an affiliated group in Sweden
• Anti-Racist Action, an American Antifa group
• Unite Against Fascism, a British Antifa group which originated from the Anti-Nazi League.