6/14/2023 0 Comments Left wing or right im pro violenceRight-wing extremists have been one of the largest and most consistent sources of domestic terror incidents in the United States for many years they have murdered hundreds of people in this country over the last ten years alone. White supremacists and other right-wing extremists, on the other hand, use even more extreme violence to spread their ideologies of hate, to intimidate marginalized communities, and to undermine democratic norms. Antifa adherents reject racism, and only a small, militant element use violent tactics to express this opposition. ![]() While violence can – and does – occur in conflicts between antifa actors and right-wing extremists, it is important to reject attempts to claim equivalence between antifa and the white supremacist and other right-wing extremist groups they oppose. Doing so allows law enforcement to focus their resources on the small minority of actors who engage in violence without curtailing the civil rights of individuals who want their voices to be heard. Violence perpetrated by anarchists or other unrelated actors is often misattributed to antifa supporters, which makes it especially critical that the public, reporters and law enforcement understand how antifa and the militant element of the movement fit within the larger counter-protest efforts. The label “antifa” is often misapplied to include all counter-protesters. Violence can also undermine and even delegitimize efforts of peaceful antifascist protesters. ![]() Antifa’s presence at protests is intended to intimidate and deter racists, but the use of violent measures by some militant antifa adherents against their adversaries can create a vicious, self-defeating cycle of attacks, counterattacks and blame. Antifa violence is problematic, in part because acts of violence serve to normalize violence more broadly, and can spark a dangerous cycle of retaliation with white supremacists and other right-wing extremists. Today, antifa adherents focus on countering right wing extremists both online and on the ground. ![]() Antifa supporters sometimes use a logo with a double flag, usually in black and red. Some antifa adherents have expanded their definition of fascist/fascism to include not just white supremacists and other extremists, but also many conservatives and supporters of former President Trump. Most antifa adherents today come from the anarchist movement or from the far left, though since the 2016 presidential election, people with other political backgrounds have also joined their ranks. The movement’s ideology is rooted in the belief that the Nazi party would never have been able to come to power in Germany if people had more aggressively fought them in the streets in the 1920s and 30s. It began in the 1960s in Europe, and had reached the US by the end of the 1970s. The antifa movement is a loose collection of groups, networks and individuals. Those violent counter-protesters who are militant antifa adherents believe in active, aggressive opposition to far right-wing movements. Likewise, not all antifa supporters engage in violence. Of those counter-protesters who do engage in violence, not all of them support the antifa movement. Most people who show up to counter or oppose white supremacist public events are peaceful demonstrators, but when militant antifa adherents show up, they can increase the chances that an event may turn violent. There have been instances where encounters between antifa supporters and the far-right have turned violent. In Charlottesville and at many subsequent events held by white supremacists or right-wing extremists, antifa adherents have confronted what they believe to be authoritarian movements and groups. ![]() The anti-fascist protest movement known as antifa gained new prominence in the United States after the white supremacist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, VA, in August 2017. Different localities have antifa populations of different strengths, but antifa adherents are also sometimes willing to travel hundreds of miles to oppose a white supremacist event.
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