A Brief History of Antifa: Part I

Contact Your Elected Officials
  • Empirical and anecdotal evidence shows that Antifa is, in fact, highly networked, well-funded and has a global presence. It has a flat organizational structure with dozens and possibly hundreds of local groups.
  • Antifa’s stated long-term objective, both in America and abroad, is to establish a communist world order. In the United States, Antifa’s immediate aim is to bring about the demise of the Trump administration.
  • A common tactic used by Antifa in the United States and Europe is to employ extreme violence and destruction of public and private property to goad the police into a reaction, which then “proves” Antifa’s claim that the government is “fascist.”
  • Antifa is not only officially tolerated, but is being paid by the German government to fight the far right. — Bettina Röhl, German journalist, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, June 2, 2020.
  • “Out of cowardice, its members cover their faces and keep their names secret. Antifa constantly threatens violence and attacks against politicians and police officers. It promotes senseless damage to property amounting to vast sums.” — Bettina Röhl, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, June 2, 2020.

U.S. Attorney General William Barr has blamed Antifa — a militant “anti-fascist” movement — for the violence that has erupted at George Floyd protests across the United States. “The violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly,” he said.

Barr also said that the federal government has evidence that Antifa “hijacked” legitimate protests around the country to “engage in lawlessness, violent rioting, arson, looting of businesses, and public property assaults on law enforcement officers and innocent people, and even the murder of a federal agent.” Earlier, U.S. President Donald J. Trump had instructed the U.S. Justice Department to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization.

Academics and media outlets sympathetic to Antifa have argued that the group cannot be classified as a terrorist organization because, they claim, it is a vaguely-defined protest movement that lacks a centralized structure. Mark Bray, a vocal apologist for Antifa in America and author of the book “Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook,” asserts that Antifa “is not an overarching organization with a chain of command.”

Empirical and anecdotal evidence shows that Antifa is, in fact, highly networked, well-funded and has a global presence. It has a flat organizational structure with dozens and possibly hundreds of local groups. Not surprisingly, the U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating individuals linked to Antifa as a step to unmasking the broader organization.

In the United States, Antifa’s ideology, tactics and goals, far from being novel, are borrowed almost entirely from Antifa groups in Europe, where so-called anti-fascist groups, in one form or another, have been active, almost without interruption, for a century.

What is Antifa?

Antifa can be described as a transnational insurgency movement that endeavors, often with extreme violence, to subvert liberal democracy, with the aim of replacing global capitalism with communism. Antifa’s stated long-term objective, both in America and abroad, is to establish a communist world order. In the United States, Antifa’s immediate aim is to bring about the demise of the Trump administration.

Antifa’s nemeses include law enforcement, which is viewed as enforcing the established order. A common tactic used by Antifa in the United States and Europe is to employ extreme violence and destruction of public and private property to goad the police into a reaction, which then “proves” Antifa’s claim that the government is “fascist.”

Antifa claims to oppose “fascism,” a term it often uses as a broad-brush pejorative to discredit those who hold opposing political beliefs. The traditional meaning of “fascism” as defined by Webster’s Dictionary is “a totalitarian governmental system led by a dictator and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism, militarism, and often racism.”

Antifa holds the Marxist-Leninist definition of fascism which equates it with capitalism. “The fight against fascism is only won when the capitalist system has been shattered and a classless society has been achieved,” according to the German Antifa group, Antifaschistischer Aufbau München.

by Soeren Kern

Read Full Article on GatestoneInstitute.org

About Gatestone Institute

“Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.”
~ John Adams

Gatestone Institute, a non-partisan, not-for-profit international policy council and think tank is dedicated to educating the public about what the mainstream media fails to report in promoting:

  • Institutions of Democracy and the Rule of Law;
  • Human Rights
  • A free and strong economy
  • A military capable of ensuring peace at home and in the free world
  • Energy independence
  • Ensuring the public stay informed of threats to our individual liberty, sovereignty and free speech.

Gatestone Institute conducts national and international conferences, briefings and events for its members and others, with world leaders, journalists and experts — analyzing, strategizing, and keeping them informed on current issues, and where possible recommending solutions.

Gatestone Institute will be publishing books, and continues to publish an online daily report, www.gatestoneinstitute.org, that features topics such as military and diplomatic threats to the United States and our allies; events in the Middle East and their possible consequences, and the transparency and accountability of international organizations.

Gatestone Institute is funded by private donors and foundations. They are grateful for any support. Gatestone Institute is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, Federal Tax ID #454724565.

Nina RosenwaldPresident
Naomi H. Perlman, Vice President

Gatestone Institute
Gatestone Institutehttps://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/
Gatestone Institute, a non-partisan, not-for-profit international policy council and think tank educates the public about what mainstream media fails to report.

Five Reasons Why The Latest Czech Elections Were So Important

Populist-nationalist politician Andrej Babis is poised to return to the premiership after his party's victory. Here are 5 reasons why this is so important.

Bad Bunny is the NFL’s Latest Insult

After years of advocating social justice causes, the NFL chose left wing, gender fluid rapper Bad Bunny to headline the next Super Bowl. Does the NFL want conservatives fans?

Scheduling collides with legacy

The ACC’s footprint now sprawls from Boston and Miami to Salt Lake City and the San Francisco Bay, defying both geography and its own name.

The Paradoxical Patriot: The political odyssey of Frank S. Meyer

In his book, Daniel J. Flynn examines the ideological evolution of one of conservatism’s most paradoxical and overlooked architects, Frank S. Meyer. 

This Is America: Target™ Reparations

“This Is America” explores the cultural undercurrents pulling Western...

CDC Says COVID-19 Vaccination Now Up to Each Individual

CDC no longer broadly recommends COVID-19 vaccination, each person should look at a range of factors, and consult their doctor, before receiving a shot.

Illinois Sues Trump Admin to Halt National Guard Deployment to Chicago

Illinois filed a lawsuit against the Trump admin on Oct. 6 in a bid to halt the federal govt from deploying National Guard troops to Chicago.

2 Arrested After Federal Agents’ Vehicle Rammed in Chicago

The FBI arrested two people who allegedly drove vehicles into federal officials near Chicago, FBI Director Kash Patel announced on Sunday evening.

Burger Chain Installs ‘Tallest and Biggest’ American Flags at Restaurants Nationwide

Fast food chain Steak ‘n Shake has started installing large American flags at its outlets across the country, the company said in an Oct. 5 post on X.

Agencies Terminated, Descoped 94 Wasteful Contracts With $8.5 Billion Ceiling Value, Says DOGE

Various federal government agencies have terminated and descoped 94 wasteful contracts over the past five days, DOGE said in an Oct. 4 post on X.

Department of Energy Cancels $7.5 Billion in Project Funding

The Dept of Energy (DOE) said on Oct. 2 that it had terminated 321 federal grants funding 223 projects, amounting to about $7.56 billion in cuts.

White House Withdraws EJ Antoni’s Nomination to Lead Bureau of Labor Statistics

The White House has withdrawn economist EJ Antoni’s nomination to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the White House confirmed on Sept. 30.

US to Impose 100 Percent Tariffs on Foreign-Made Movies, Trump Says

President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 29 that he will impose a 100 percent tariff on all movies produced outside the United States.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central