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{{short description|Anti-fascist political activist movement}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{short description|Anti-fascist political activist movement in the United States}}
{{use mdy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{use American English|date=August 2017}} {{use American English|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox militant organization
{{anti-fascism sidebar|organizations}}
| logo = File:Antifa logo.svg
'''Antifa''' ({{IPAc-en|æ|n|ˈ|t|iː|f|ə|,_|ˈ|æ|n|t|i|ˌ|f|ɑː}})<ref>{{cite web|last=Liberman|first=Mark|date=August 20, 2017|url=http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=34177|title=Ask Language Log: How to pronounce "Antifa"?|website=Language Log|accessdate=June 11, 2020}}</ref> is an ] ] in the United States<ref>{{cite news|title='Radical left bad people': Trump says Antifa groups will be labelled terrorists|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-01/trump-says-military-wont-intervene-in-george-floyd-riots-yet/12305850|date=May 31, 2020|agency=ABC News|accessdate=June 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Bogel-Burroughs|first1=Nicholas|last2=Garcia|first2=Sandra E.|date=May 31, 2020|title=What Is Antifa, the Movement Trump Wants to Declare a Terror Group?|newspaper=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/what-antifa-trump.html|accessdate=June 1, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=President Trump deems Antifa a terrorist organization, points to far-left groups for many violent protests|url=https://www.wral.com/president-trump-deems-antifa-a-terrorist-organization-points-to-far-left-groups-for-many-violent-protests/19122917/|last=Suerth|first=Jessica|date=May 31, 2020|agency=WRAL|accessdate=June 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=George Floyd protests: as riots spread, officials fear right-wing extremists and Antifa fan the flames|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/as-riots-spread-officials-fear-extremists-are-fanning-the-flames-20200601-p54y8n.html|last1=Hennessey|first1=Kathleen|last2=Kunzelman|first2=Michael|date=May 31, 2020|newspaper=]|accessdate=June 1, 2020}}</ref> comprising a diverse<ref>{{cite journal|last=LaFree|first=Gary|s2cid=149530376|year=2018|title=Is Antifa a Terrorist Group?|journal=]|volume=55|issue=3|pages=248–252|doi=10.1007/s12115-018-0246-x|issn=1936-4725|quote=In general, antifa falls on the less structured side of this continuum. It is not a highly organized entity. It has not persisted over time. There is little evidence of a chain of command or a stable leadership structure. To this point in time antifa seems to be more of a movement than a group.}}</ref><ref name="klein">{{cite journal|last=Klein|first=Adam|year=2019|url=https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/10076|title=From Twitter to Charlottesville: Analyzing the Fighting Words Between the Alt-Right and Antifa|journal=]|volume=13|pages=22|issn=1932-8036|quote=This present climate of partisan tribalism has given rise to new actors and factions representing the far ends of the political spectrum. On the far left, Antifa represents a fast-growing crusade designed to confront all forms of fascism, principally the aforementioned groups but also, at times, law enforcement. Antifa has no single spokesperson but rather presents its movement as a collective of nameless vigilantes, typically outfitted in concealing masks and black combat gear, ready for battle.}}</ref> array of ] groups that aim to achieve their objectives through the use of both ] and ] ] rather than through policy ].<ref name=bbcantifa/><ref>{{cite news|last=Beinart|first=Peter|title=What Trump Gets Wrong About Antifa|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/what-trump-gets-wrong-about-antifa/537048/|accessdate=August 16, 2017|work=]|date=August 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/5437204/antifa-history-comic/|title=What the Artist Behind a Comics-Style History of Anti-Fascist Resistance Thinks You Should Know About Antifa|last=Rothman|first=Lily|date=February 25, 2019|magazine=]|accessdate=July 22, 2019}}</ref><ref name=bogelburroughs>{{cite news|last=Bogel-Burroughs|first=Nicholas|date=July 2, 2019|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/02/us/what-is-antifa.html|title=What Is Antifa? Explaining the Movement to Confront the Far Right|newspaper=]|accessdate=July 13, 2019}}</ref> Described as a highly ] movement, antifa ] are ] who engage in protest tactics, seeking to combat ] and ] such as ], ] and other ] ].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Clarke|first1=Colin|last2=Kenney|first2=Michael|date=23 June 2020|url=https://warontherocks.com/2020/06/what-antifa-is-what-it-isnt-and-why-it-matters/|title=What Antifa Is, What It Isn't, and Why It Matters|website=War on the Rocks|accessdate=June 26, 2020|quote= Antifa, a highly decentralized movement of anti-racists who seek to combat neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and far-right extremists whom Antifa's followers consider 'fascist' .}}</ref> This may sometimes involve ],<ref name="Neo-Nazis Face a New Foe Online and IRL: the Far-Left Antifa"/> ], ],<ref name=bbcantifa/> ] and ] against those whom they identify as belonging to the far-right.<ref name="ADL page"/><ref>{{cite web|last1=Kaste|first1=Martin|last2=Siegler|first2=Kirk|date=June 16, 2017|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/06/16/533255619/fact-check-is-left-wing-violence-rising|title=Fact Check: Is Left-Wing Violence Rising?|agency=]|accessdate=August 15, 2017}}</ref><ref name="SeurthWhatIs"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Maida|first=Adam|date=January 16, 2018|url=https://www.wired.com/story/free-speech-issue-antifa-data-mining/|title=Meet Antifa's Secret Weapon Against Far-Right Extremists|newspaper=]|accessdate=November 13, 2018}}</ref> Antifa involvement in violent actions against far-right opponents or the police has led some scholars to characterize the movement as ]<ref name="klein"/><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|last1=Perliger|first1=Lauren R.|last2=Shapiro|first2=Arie|year=2018|editor-last1=Maras|editor-first1=Marie-Helen|editor-last2=Sweeney|editor-first2=Matthew M.|title=Terrorism: Domestic|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Security and Emergency Management|location=New York City|publisher=]|pages=1–9|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-69891-5_250-1|isbn=978-3-319-69891-5|quote= Antifa, a far-left anti-fascist movement. The American Far Left includes 'groups or individuals that embrace anticapitalist, Communist, or Socialist doctrines and to bring about change through violent revolution' (Department of Homeland Security 2009, p. 6).}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Alizadeh|first1=Meysam|last2=Weber|first2=Ingmar|last3=Cioffi-Revilla|first3=Claudio|last4=Fortunato|first4=Santo|last5=Macy|first5=Michael|s2cid=153314800|year=2019|title=Psychology and morality of political extremists: evidence from Twitter language analysis of alt-right and Antifa|journal=EPJ Data Science|volume=8|issue=1|pages=17|doi=10.1140/epjds/s13688-019-0193-9|issn=2193-1127|quote= during 2016 and 2017, far-left movements in the U.S. such as Antifa were actively engaging in violent actions attacking alt-right demonstrators . While the antifascist movements seemed to be disappeared with the end of WWII, they are on rise in the United States and Europe, in part due to the growth of neo-Nazism (LaFree, Arlow).}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Xu|first=Weiai Wayne|year=2020|url=https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/11978|title=Mapping Connective Actions in the Global Alt-Right and Antifa Counterpublics|journal=]|publisher=]|location=Los Angeles, California|volume=14|pages=22|issn=1932-8036}}</ref> and ].<ref name="SavageFight"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Miller|first=Michael E.|date=September 14, 2017|title=Antifa: Guardians against fascism or lawless thrill-seekers?|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/antifa-guardians-against-fascism-or-lawless-thrill-seekers/2017/09/14/38db474c-93fe-11e7-89fa-bb822a46da5b_story.html|accessdate=October 13, 2017|quote=It was a call to arms for militant anti-fascists, or "antifa" – and Hines was heeding it.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Campos|first1=Robert|last2=Carroll|first2=Jeremy|last3=Guyen|first3=Vicky|last4=Jaworski|first4=Jonathan|last5=Jewett|first5=Chris|last6=Rutanashoodech|first6=Tony|date=September 27, 2017|url=http://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/An-Inside-Look-at-the-Antifa-Movement--448068573.html|title=An Inside Look at the Antifa Movement|agency=KNTV|accessdate=October 13, 2017|quote=NBC Bay Area sat down with several militant Antifa protesters .}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Vysotsky|first=Stanislav|year=2020|title=American Antifa: The Tactics, Culture, and Practice of Militant Antifascism|publisher=]|location=London, England|isbn=978-0-429-26517-4|doi=10.4324/9780429265174|quote=Since the election of President Trump and the rise in racism and white supremacist activity, the militant anti-fascist movement known as antifa has become increasingly active and high profile in the United States.}}</ref>
| caption = Symbol commonly used by antifa depicting an ] flag overlaying a ] flag, based on the logo of the ]
| country = United States
| foundation =
| other_name =
| allegiance =
| motives =
* Opposition to ]
* Opposition to ]
* Opposition to ]
| ideology = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>Anti-]<br>]<br>]<br>]
| position = ]
| name = Antifa
| crimes = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]ing<br>]<br>]
| status = Active
| allies =
}}
{{Anti-fascism sidebar|postwar}}
'''Antifa''' ({{IPAc-en|æ|n|ˈ|t|iː|f|ə|,_|ˈ|æ|n|t|i|f|ə}}) is a ] ] and ] ] in the ]. It consists of a highly ] array of ] groups that use ] ], ], or ] to achieve their aims.<ref>{{cite journal |last=LaFree |first=Gary |s2cid=149530376 |year=2018 |title=Is Antifa a Terrorist Group? |journal=] |volume=55 |issue=3 |pages=248–252 |doi=10.1007/s12115-018-0246-x |issn=1936-4725 |quote=In general, antifa falls on the less structured side of this continuum. It is not a highly organized entity. It has not persisted over time. There is little evidence of a chain of command or a stable leadership structure. To this point in time antifa seems to be more of a movement than a group.}}</ref><ref name="bogelburroughs">{{cite news |last=Bogel-Burroughs |first=Nicholas |date=July 2, 2019 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/02/us/what-is-antifa.html |title=What Is Antifa? Explaining the Movement to Confront the Far Right |newspaper=] |access-date=July 13, 2019 |archive-date=May 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524040058/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/02/us/what-is-antifa.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Antifa political activism includes non-violent methods such as poster and flyer campaigns, ], speeches, ]es, and ].<ref name="kgw">{{cite web |last=Gordon |first=Tim |date=October 1, 2020 |url=http://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/protests/antifas-history-and-current-status-in-portland/283-8a9d1048-69e9-4baf-879d-b59d1c93c41a |title=Here's what antifa is and its connection to Portland |website=] |publisher=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002135620/http://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/protests/antifas-history-and-current-status-in-portland/283-8a9d1048-69e9-4baf-879d-b59d1c93c41a |archive-date=October 2, 2020 |access-date=October 27, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Beauchamp 2020" /><ref name="Sacco 2020" /> Some who identify as antifa also use tactics involving ], ], ], physical violence, and property damage. Supporters of the movement aim to combat ], including ] and ].<ref>Antifa targets:


* {{cite web |last1=Clarke |first1=Colin |last2=Kenney |first2=Michael |date=June 23, 2020 |title=What Antifa Is, What It Isn't, and Why It Matters |url=https://warontherocks.com/2020/06/what-antifa-is-what-it-isnt-and-why-it-matters/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624164122/https://warontherocks.com/2020/06/what-antifa-is-what-it-isnt-and-why-it-matters/ |archive-date=June 24, 2020 |access-date=June 26, 2020 |website=War on the Rocks |quote= Antifa, a highly decentralized movement of anti-racists who seek to combat neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and far-right extremists whom Antifa's followers consider 'fascist' .}}
Individuals involved in the movement tend to hold ]<ref name="Bray intro"/> and ] views,<ref name="bbcantifa w quote"/> subscribing to a range of ] ideologies such as ], ], ], ] and ].<ref name="Fuller">{{cite news|first1=Thomas|last1=Fuller|first2=Alan|last2=Feuer|first3=Serge F.|last3=Kovaleski|date=August 17, 2017|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/17/us/antifa-left-wing-faction-far-right.html|title='Antifa' Grows as Left-Wing Faction Set to, Literally, Fight the Far Right|newspaper=]|accessdate=September 10, 2017|quote= the diverse collection of anarchists, communists and socialists has found common cause in opposing right-wing extremists and white supremacists.}}</ref><ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists w quote"/><ref name="Context and timeliness w quote"/><ref name="BeinartAtlantic w quote"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/antifa-200601170721571.html|title=What is Antifa?|agency=]|date=1 June 2020|accessdate=June 2, 2020|quote=Anti-facists of the movement tend to be grouped on the leftward fringes of the US political spectrum, many describing themselves as socialists, anarchists, communists or anti-capitalists.}}</ref> Both the name ''antifa'' and the logo with two flags representing anarchism and communism are derived from the German ].<ref>{{cite book|first=Mark|last=Bray|date=2017|title=]|publisher=]|location=New York City|page=54|isbn=978-1-61219-703-6}}</ref>
* {{cite news |last=Ellis |first=Emma Grey |date=February 4, 2017 |title=Neo-Nazis Face a New Foe Online and IRL: the Far-Left Antifa |newspaper=] |url=https://www.wired.com/2017/02/neo-nazis-face-new-foe-online-irl-far-left-antifa/ |url-status=live |access-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012225005/https://www.wired.com/2017/02/neo-nazis-face-new-foe-online-irl-far-left-antifa/ |archive-date=October 12, 2017}}
* {{cite web |date=2017 |title=Who are the Antifa? |url=https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounders/who-are-the-antifa |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401085658/https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounders/who-are-the-antifa |archive-date=April 1, 2018 |access-date=July 2, 2019 |publisher=]}}
* {{cite web |last1=Kaste |first1=Martin |last2=Siegler |first2=Kirk |date=June 16, 2017 |title=Fact Check: Is Left-Wing Violence Rising? |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/06/16/533255619/fact-check-is-left-wing-violence-rising |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814033801/http://www.npr.org/2017/06/16/533255619/fact-check-is-left-wing-violence-rising |archive-date=August 14, 2017 |access-date=August 15, 2017 |website=] |agency=NPR}}
* {{cite news |last1=Seurth |first1=Jessica |date=August 14, 2017 |title=What is Antifa? |agency=] |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/14/us/what-is-antifa-trnd/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=August 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817000152/http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/14/us/what-is-antifa-trnd/index.html |archive-date=August 17, 2017}}
* {{cite news |last=Maida |first=Adam |date=January 16, 2018 |title=Meet Antifa's Secret Weapon Against Far-Right Extremists |newspaper=] |url=https://www.wired.com/story/free-speech-issue-antifa-data-mining/ |url-status=live |access-date=November 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825011300/https://www.wired.com/story/free-speech-issue-antifa-data-mining/ |archive-date=August 25, 2018}}</ref>


Individuals involved in the movement subscribe to a range of left-wing ideologies, and tend to hold ], ], and ] views. A majority of individuals involved are ], ], and ],<ref>Ideology (academic sources):
Antifa actions have received both criticism and praise.<ref name="Mainstream Media Critique"/><ref name="Noam Chomsky: Antifa is a 'major gift to the right'"/> ] about antifa which tend to inaccurately portray antifa as a single organization with leaders and secret sources of funding have been spread by ] activists, media organisations and politicians, including ] officials.<ref name="Alba"/><ref name="Battleground sunshine 2020">{{cite web|last=Sunshine|first=Spencer|date=June 5, 2020|url=https://www.thebattleground.eu/articles/2020/06/05/blaming-it-on-antifa/|title=Blaming it on Antifa: Trump's Crisis Scapegoats|website=Battleground|accessdate=June 22, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|date=June 6, 2020|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/06/what-is-antifa-trump-terrorist-designation|title=What is antifa and why is Donald Trump targeting it?|newspaper=]|accessdate=June 7, 2020}}</ref> There have been multiple efforts to discredit antifa groups via hoaxes on social media, many of them ] attacks originating from ] and ] users posing as antifa backers on ].<ref name="GQ"/><ref name="Far-right smear campaign against Antifa exposed by Bellingcat"/><ref name="vice"/> Some hoaxes have been picked up and reported as fact by right-leaning media.<ref name="GQ"/><ref>{{cite magazine|first=Brian|last=Feldman|accessdate=August 14, 2019|title=How to Spot a Fake Antifa Account|url=http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/08/how-to-spot-a-fake-antifa-account.html|date=August 21, 2017|magazine=]}}</ref><ref name="masslive">{{cite web|first=Dan|last=Glaun|accessdate=August 14, 2019|title=Fake Boston Antifa group, which claimed credit for anti-racism banner at Red Sox game, is actually run by right wing trolls|url=https://www.masslive.com/news/2017/09/fake_boston_antifa_group_who_c.html|date=September 14, 2017|website=]}}</ref>


* {{cite book |last=Bray |first=Mark |title=Antifa: The Antifascist Handbook |publisher=] |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-61219-703-6 |location=London |chapter=Introduction |quote=In the United States, most have been anarchist or antiauthoritarian since the emergence of modern antifa under the name Anti-Racist Action (ARA) in the late eighties.}}
During the ] in May and June 2020, President ] and Attorney General ] blamed antifa for orchestrating the mass protests, but analysis of federal arrests did not find links to antifa.<ref name="nytimes_antifa">{{cite news|last1=Feuer|first1=Alan|last2=Goldman|first2=Adam|last3=MacFarquhar|first3=Neil|date=June 11, 2020|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/11/us/antifa-protests-george-floyd.html|title=Federal Arrests Show No Sign That Antifa Plotted Protests|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=June 11, 2020|quote=Despite claims by President Trump and Attorney General William P. Barr, there is scant evidence that loosely organized anti-fascists are a significant player in protests. A review of the arrests of dozens of people on federal charges reveals no known effort by antifa to perpetrate a coordinated campaign of violence. Some criminal complaints described vague, anti-government political leanings among suspects, but a majority of the violent acts that have taken place at protests have been attributed by federal prosecutors to individuals with no affiliation to any particular group.}}</ref> There have been repeated calls from Trump, Barr and others to designate antifa as a terrorist organization which Barr has characterized as "highly organized".<ref>{{cite news|last=Peiser|first=Jaclyn|date=August 10, 2020|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/08/10/barr-fox-antifa-blm/|title='Their tactics are fascistic': Barr slams Black Lives Matter, accuses the left of 'tearing down the system'|newspaper=The Washington Post|accessdate=August 10, 2020}}</ref> However, academics, legal experts and scholars argue that antifa cannot be designated as it would be a violation of the ] and there is no legal authority to designate a wholly domestic organization.<ref name="HabermanSavage"/><ref name=Perez/><ref name="Bray 2020"/>
Ideology (news sources):


* {{cite news |last=Cammeron |first=Brenna |date=August 14, 2017 |title=Antifa: Left-wing militants on the rise |agency=] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40930831 |url-status=live |access-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521164228/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40930831 |archive-date=May 21, 2020 |quote=Antifa is anti-government and anti-capitalist, and their methodologies are often perceived as more closely aligned with anarchists than the mainstream left.}}
== Etymology and use ==
* {{cite news |last1=Fuller |first1=Thomas |last2=Feuer |first2=Alan |last3=Kovaleski |first3=Serge F. |date=August 17, 2017 |title='Antifa' Grows as Left-Wing Faction Set to, Literally, Fight the Far Right |newspaper=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/17/us/antifa-left-wing-faction-far-right.html |url-status=live |access-date=September 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906050854/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/17/us/antifa-left-wing-faction-far-right.html |archive-date=September 6, 2017 |quote= the diverse collection of anarchists, communists and socialists has found common cause in opposing right-wing extremists and white supremacists.}}
{{annotated image|image=Antifa sticker on No Parking sign.jpg|annotations=|width=220|height=270|image-left=-228|image-top=-460|image-width=600|caption=An antifa sticker, based on the logo of the German ]}}
* {{cite news |last=Illing |first=Sean |date=August 25, 2017 |title='They have no allegiance to liberal democracy': an expert on antifa explains the group |website=] |url=https://www.vox.com/2017/8/25/16189064/antifa-charlottesville-activism-mark-bray-interview |url-status=live |access-date=August 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828013339/https://www.vox.com/2017/8/25/16189064/antifa-charlottesville-activism-mark-bray-interview |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |quote=For the most part, these are pan-leftist groups composed of leftists of different stripes. They all seem to have different views of what they think the ideal social order looks like. Some of them are Marxists, some are Leninists, some are social democrats or anarchists.}}
The English word ''antifa'' is a ] from the German ''Antifa'', taken as a shortened form of the word ''antifaschistisch'' ("anti-fascist") and a nickname of ] (1932–1933), a short-lived group which inspired the wider ] in Germany.<ref name=merriamwebster>{{cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/words-were-watching-antifa|title=Words We're Watching: 'Antifa'|accessdate=November 13, 2018|work=]}}</ref><ref name=oxford/><ref>{{cite encyclopaedia|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/antifa|title=antifa|work=]|accessdate=July 21, 2019}}</ref>
* {{cite news |last=Lozada |first=Carlos |date=September 1, 2017 |title=The history, theory and contradictions of antifa |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/book-party/wp/2017/09/01/the-history-theory-and-contradictions-of-antifa/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901201826/https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/book-party/wp/2017/09/01/the-history-theory-and-contradictions-of-antifa/ |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |access-date=September 1, 2017 |newspaper=] |quote=And its politics are not just negatory — they also aim to adapt "preexisting socialist, anarchist, and communist currents to a sudden need to react to the fascist menace.}}
* {{cite news |last=Beinart |first=Peter |date=September 6, 2017 |title=The Rise of the Violent Left |newspaper=] |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/the-rise-of-the-violent-left/534192/ |url-status=live |access-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813055643/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/the-rise-of-the-violent-left/534192/ |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |quote=Trump's rise has also bred a new sympathy for antifa among some on the mainstream left. 'Suddenly,' noted the antifa-aligned journal ''It's Going Down'', 'anarchists and antifa, who have been demonized and sidelined by the wider Left have been hearing from liberals and Leftists, 'you've been right all along.' An article in ''The Nation'' argued that 'to call Trumpism fascist' is to realize that it is 'not well combated or contained by standard liberal appeals to reason.' The radical left, it said, offers 'practical and serious responses in this political moment.}}
* {{cite news |date=June 1, 2020 |title=What is Antifa? |agency=] |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/antifa-200601170721571.html |url-status=live |access-date=June 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002071206/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/02/what-is-antifa/ |archive-date=October 2, 2020 |quote=Anti-fascists of the movement tend to be grouped on the leftward fringes of the US political spectrum, many describing themselves as socialists, anarchists, communists or anti-capitalists.}}</ref> although some ] also participate in the antifa movement.<ref name="Sacco 2020" /><ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists" /><ref name="Beinart 2017" /> The name ''antifa'' and the logo with two flags representing anarchism and communism are derived from the ].<ref>{{cite book |first=Mark |last=Bray |date=2017 |title=Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook |publisher=] |location=New York |page=54 |isbn=978-1-61219-703-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OKEwDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA54 |access-date=September 30, 2020 |archive-date=October 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007023919/https://books.google.com/books?id=OKEwDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA54 |url-status=live}}</ref> ] historian Mark Bray, author of '']'', credits ] (ARA) as the precursor of modern antifa groups in the United States.<ref name="Bray intro"/><ref name="nbcnews.com">{{cite news |access-date=May 18, 2021 |title=Antifa violence is ethical? This author explains why |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/antifa-violence-ethical-author-explains-why-n796106 |work=] |archive-date=May 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515215644/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/antifa-violence-ethical-author-explains-why-n796106 |url-status=live}}</ref>


The American antifa movement grew after ] was ]. Antifa activists' actions have since received support and criticism from various organizations and pundits. Some on the ] and some ]s criticize antifa's willingness to adopt violent tactics, which they describe as counterproductive and dangerous, arguing that these tactics embolden the ] and their allies.<ref>Criticism:
The German word ''Antifa'' itself first appeared in 1930 and the long form ''antifaschistisch'' was borrowed from the original Italian ''anti-Fascisti'' ("anti-fascists").<ref name="merriamwebster"/> ] placed ''antifa'' on its shortlist for ] in 2017 and stated the word "emerged from relative obscurity to become an established part of the English lexicon over the course of 2017".<ref name="oxford">{{cite web|url=https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/shortlist-2017|title=Word of the Year 2017: shortlist|publisher=]|date=December 14, 2017|accessdate=July 21, 2019}}</ref>
* {{cite news |last=Beinart |first=Peter |date=August 16, 2017 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/what-trump-gets-wrong-about-antifa/537048/|title=What Trump Gets Wrong About Antifa |newspaper=] |access-date=October 23, 2020 |quote=As I argued in my essay, some of their tactics are genuinely troubling. They're troubling tactically because conservatives use antifa's violence to justify—or at least distract from—the violence of white supremacists, as Trump did in his press conference. They're troubling strategically because they allow white supremacists to depict themselves as victims being denied the right to freely assemble. And they're troubling morally because antifa activists really do infringe upon that right. |archive-date=August 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821010134/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/what-trump-gets-wrong-about-antifa/537048/ |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/noam-chomsky-antifa-major-gift-right-wing-anti-fascist-alt-left-a7906406.html |title=Noam Chomsky: Antifa is a 'major gift to the right' |last=Oppenheim |first=Maya |newspaper=] |date=August 22, 2017|access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825002700/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/noam-chomsky-antifa-major-gift-right-wing-anti-fascist-alt-left-a7906406.html |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |last=Beinart |first=Peter |date=September 6, 2017 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/the-rise-of-the-violent-left/534192/ |title=The Rise of the Violent Left |newspaper=] |access-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813055643/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/the-rise-of-the-violent-left/534192/ |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |last=Gittlitz |first=A. M. |date=December 6, 2018 |url=https://communemag.com/anti-anti-antifa/ |title=Anti-Anti-Antifa |newspaper=Commune |access-date=July 10, 2019 |archive-date=June 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626190059/https://communemag.com/anti-anti-antifa/ |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |last=Bogel-Burroughs |first=Nicholas |date=July 2, 2019 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/02/us/what-is-antifa.html |title=What Is Antifa? Explaining the Movement to Confront the Far Right |newspaper=] |access-date=July 13, 2019 |archive-date=May 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524040058/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/02/us/what-is-antifa.html |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |last=Lennard |first=Natasha |date=March 17, 2018 |url=https://theintercept.com/2018/03/17/richard-spencer-college-tour-antifa-alt-right/ |title='Alt-Right' Icon Richard Spencer Made the Case for Antifa |newspaper=] |access-date=October 23, 2020 |archive-date=October 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027052348/https://theintercept.com/2018/03/17/richard-spencer-college-tour-antifa-alt-right/ |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/antifa-threat-poisoning-trump-opposition-article-1.3424272 |title=Calmer voices on the left must disavow antifa's tactics – or else they will give rhetorical ammunition to Trump |date=August 20, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-date=August 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826113212/http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/antifa-threat-poisoning-trump-opposition-article-1.3424272 |url-status=live}}</ref> Both ] and ] politicians have condemned violence from antifa.<ref name="Pelosi Statement Condemning Antifa Violence in Berkeley" /><ref name="Fact check: Joe Biden has condemned Antifa" /><ref name="Relman 2020" /><ref name="Wallace 2020" /> Many right-wing politicians and groups have characterized antifa as a ] organization or use ''antifa'' as a catch-all term<ref name="Nguyen" /> for any left-leaning or liberal protest actions.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Galofaro |first1=Claire |last2=Kunzelman |first2=Michael |date=September 23, 2020 |url=https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-media-social-media-kentucky-racial-injustice-97624252a276dea5cfe2e79381df0248 |title=Trump, social media, right-wing news stir up antifa scares |work=] |access-date=October 23, 2020 |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107174655/https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-media-social-media-kentucky-racial-injustice-97624252a276dea5cfe2e79381df0248 |url-status=live}}</ref> Some scholars claim that antifa is a legitimate response to the rise of the far-right.<ref name="Bray & Sycamore 2017" /><ref name="Noam Chomsky" /> Scholars tend to reject an equivalence between antifa and ].<ref name="bogelburroughs" /><ref name="Kivland">{{cite news |last=Kivland |first=Chelsey |date=2017 |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5efa3e4eb1788c3251bc5750/t/5f1e836db4238228f9f11697/1595835245782/charlottesville.pdf |title=A Defense of the Charlottesville Counter-Protesters |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107174605/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5efa3e4eb1788c3251bc5750/t/5f1e836db4238228f9f11697/1595835245782/charlottesville.pdf |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |work=] |volume=58 |number=5 |pages=94–99}}</ref><ref name="Beckett 2020" /><ref>{{cite book |first1=Stanislav |last1=Vysotsky |title=American Antifa: The Tactics, Culture, and Practice of Militant Antifascism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GOhLzQEACAAJ |publisher=] |date=2020 |chapter=2 |isbn=978-0-367-21057-1 |via=] |access-date=October 24, 2022 |archive-date=February 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213100751/https://books.google.com/books?id=GOhLzQEACAAJ |url-status=live}}</ref> Research suggests that most antifa action is nonviolent.<ref name="Jaccoud" /><ref name="wsjLevy" /><ref name=bray-wapo />


There have been numerous efforts to discredit antifa by various right-wing groups and individuals.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/barr-gop-present-antifa-major-threat-but-no-evidence-killings-2020-7 |title=Trump, Barr, and the GOP present antifa as a major threat in the US, but they're not killing people — unlike white supremacists |first=John |last=Haltiwanger |website=] |access-date=May 27, 2021 |archive-date=February 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202053115/https://www.businessinsider.com/barr-gop-present-antifa-major-threat-but-no-evidence-killings-2020-7 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-race-barr-police-idUSKBN25T3AI |title=U.S. Attorney General Barr says antifa 'flying around' U.S. to incite violence |first=Jan |last=Wolfe |newspaper=] |date=September 3, 2020 |via=www.reuters.com |access-date=September 10, 2020 |archive-date=September 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910080623/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-race-barr-police-idUSKBN25T3AI |url-status=live}}</ref> Some have been done via hoaxes on social media, many of them ] operations originating from ] and ] users posing as antifa backers on ];<ref name="GQ" /><ref name="Far-right smear campaign against Antifa exposed by Bellingcat" /><ref name="vice" /> some hoaxes have been picked up and portrayed as fact by right-leaning media and politicians.<ref name="GQ" /><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/01/us/politics/antifa-conspiracy-capitol-riot.html|title=How Pro-Trump Forces Pushed a Lie About Antifa at the Capitol Riot |first1=Michael M. |last1=Grynbaum |first2=Davey |last2=Alba |author-link2=Davey Alba |first3=Reid J. |last3=Epstein |newspaper=] |date=March 1, 2021 |access-date=March 1, 2021 |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/01/us/politics/antifa-conspiracy-capitol-riot.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Brian |last=Feldman |access-date=August 14, 2019 |title=How to Spot a Fake Antifa Account |url=http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/08/how-to-spot-a-fake-antifa-account.html |date=August 21, 2017 |newspaper=] |archive-date=August 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814173715/http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/08/how-to-spot-a-fake-antifa-account.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="masslive">{{cite news |first=Dan |last=Glaun |access-date=August 14, 2019 |title=Fake Boston Antifa group, which claimed credit for anti-racism banner at Red Sox game, is actually run by right wing trolls |url=https://www.masslive.com/news/2017/09/fake_boston_antifa_group_who_c.html |date=September 14, 2017 |newspaper=] |archive-date=August 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814173924/https://www.masslive.com/news/2017/09/fake_boston_antifa_group_who_c.html |url-status=live}}</ref> There were repeated calls by Donald Trump and ] to designate antifa as a terrorist organization.<ref>{{cite news |last=Peiser |first=Jaclyn |date=August 10, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/08/10/barr-fox-antifa-blm/|title='Their tactics are fascistic': Barr slams Black Lives Matter, accuses the left of 'tearing down the system' |newspaper=] |access-date=August 10, 2020 |archive-date=August 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810162002/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/08/10/barr-fox-antifa-blm/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Academics, legal experts, and others have argued such an action would exceed the authority of the presidency and violate the ].<ref name="HabermanSavage" /><ref name="Perez" /><ref name="Bray 2020" /> Several analyses, reports, and studies have concluded that antifa is not a major domestic terrorism risk.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Nigel|last1=Copsey|first2=Samuel|last2=Merrill|title=Violence and Restraint within Antifa: A View from the United States|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26964730|journal=Perspectives on Terrorism|date=2020|issn=2334-3745|pages=122–138|volume=14|issue=6|jstor=26964730 }}</ref><ref name="Swan 2020" /><ref>{{cite journal|first1=Celinet|last1=Duran|title=Far-Left versus Far-Right Fatal Violence: An Empirical Assessment of the Prevalence of Ideologically Motivated Homicides in the United States|url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/wescrim22&id=107&div=&collection=|journal=Criminology, Criminal Justice, Law & Society|date=2021|pages=1|volume=22}}</ref>
The ] states that the label ''antifa'' should be limited to "those who proactively seek physical confrontations with their perceived fascist adversaries" and not be misapplied to include all anti-fascist counter-protesters.<ref name="ADL page"/>


{{TOC limit|3}}
== Ideology ==
Individuals involved in the antifa movement tend to hold ],<ref name="Bray intro"/> ]<ref name=bbcantifa/><ref name="eewia"/> and ] views,<ref name=bbcantifa/> subscribing to a varied range of ] ideologies.<ref name="cnnantifa"/> A majority of adherents are ], ] and other ] who describe themselves as revolutionaries,<ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists"/> although some ] and other leftists also adhere to the antifa movement.<ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists"/>


== Definition ==
According to ] historian Mark Bray, an expert on the movement,<ref>{{cite news|
last=Hawkins|first=Derek|date=August 29, 2017|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/28/a-dartmouth-antifa-expert-was-disavowed-by-his-college-president-for-supporting-violent-protest-angering-many-faculty/|title=A Dartmouth antifa expert was disavowed by his college president for 'supporting violent protest,' angering many faculty|newspaper=]|accessdate=June 4, 2020}}</ref> the "vast majority of anti-fascist organizing is nonviolent. But their willingness to physically defend themselves and others from white supremacist violence and preemptively shut down fascist organizing efforts before they turn deadly distinguishes them from liberal anti-racists".<ref name="bray-wapo"/> Described as a pan-leftist and non-hierarchical movement,<ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists"/> antifa is united by opposition to ] and ]<ref name="bbcantifa"/><ref name="Fuller"/> as well as opposition to centralized states.<ref name="BeinartAtlantic"/> Antifa activists reject both ] and ] anti-fascism.<ref name="Fuller"/><ref name="Context and timeliness"/> The antifa movement generally eschews mainstream ]<ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists"/> and favors ] over ].<ref name="bbcantifa"/><ref name="Fuller"/> Despite antifa opposition to liberalism, some ] commentators have accused their adherents of being aided by "liberal sympathizers".<ref>{{cite news|last=Beinart|first=Peter|date=July 4, 2019|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/conservatives-conjure-liberal-support-antifa/593164/|title=Conservatives Conjure Up Liberal Support for Antifa Violence|magazine=]|publisher=]|location=Washington, D.C.|accessdate=June 1, 2020}}</ref>


The English word ''antifa'' is a ] from the German {{lang|de|Antifa}}, where it is a shortened form of the word {{lang|de|antifaschistisch}} ("anti-fascist") and a nickname of {{lang|de|]}} (1932–1933), a short-lived group which inspired the wider ].<ref name=merriamwebster>{{cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/words-were-watching-antifa |title=Words We're Watching: 'Antifa' |website=] |date=November 2017 |access-date=November 13, 2018 |archive-date=March 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180314104558/https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/words-were-watching-antifa |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=oxford/><ref>{{cite Collins Dictionary|Antifa|accessdate=July 21, 2019}}</ref> The German word ''Antifa'' itself first appeared in 1930 and the long form ''antifaschistisch'' was borrowed from the original Italian {{lang|it|anti-Fascisti}} ("anti-fascists").<ref name="merriamwebster"/> ] placed ''antifa'' on its shortlist for ] in 2017 and stated the word "emerged from relative obscurity to become an established part of the English lexicon over the course of 2017."<ref name="oxford">{{cite web |url=https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/shortlist-2017 |title=Word of the Year 2017: shortlist |website=Oxford Languages |publisher=] |date=December 14, 2017 |access-date=July 21, 2019 |archive-date=July 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721132143/https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/shortlist-2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
The ] states that "ost antifa come from the anarchist movement or from the far left, though since the 2016 presidential election, some people with more mainstream political backgrounds have also joined their ranks".<ref name="ADL page"/> Similarly, ] notes that "hile antifa's political leanings are often described as 'far-left,' experts say members' radical views vary and can intersect with communism, socialism and anarchism".<ref>{{cite news|last=Mallin|first=Alexander|date=June 3, 2020|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/antifa-group-trump-designate-terrorist-organization/story?id=71045287|title=What is antifa? Behind the group Trump wants to designate as a terrorist organization|website=]|accessdate=June 8, 2020}}</ref> According to ], "he term is used to define a broad group of people whose political beliefs lean toward the left -- often the far left -- but do not conform with the Democratic Party platform".<ref name="SeurthWhatIs"/> The ] notes that, "as their name indicates, ntifa focuses more on fighting far-right ideology than encouraging pro-left policy".<ref name=bbcantifa/> Mark Bray, who studies antifa, said in 2017: "It's also important to remember that these are self-described revolutionaries. They're anarchists and communists who are way outside the traditional conservative-liberal spectrum".<ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists"/>


The pronunciation of the word in English is not settled as it may be stressed on either the first or the second syllable.<ref name="ll">{{cite web |last=Liberman |first=Mark |date=August 20, 2017 |url=http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=34177 |title=Ask Language Log: How to pronounce "Antifa"?|website=Language Log |access-date=June 11, 2020 |archive-date=August 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823120029/http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=34177 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=merriamwebster/>
== Movement structure ==
Antifa is not a unified organization but rather a movement without a hierarchical leadership structure, comprising multiple autonomous groups and individuals.<ref name="ADL page"/><ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists"/><ref name=bray-wapo/> The movement is loosely affiliated<ref name=bbcantifa/> and has no chain of command, with antifa groups instead sharing "resources and information about far-right activity across regional and national borders through loosely knit networks and informal relationships of trust and solidarity".<ref name="Bray 2020">{{cite news|last=Bray|first=Mark|date=June 1, 2020|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/06/01/trump-antifa-terrorist-organization/|title=Antifa isn't the problem. Trump's bluster is a distraction from police violence|newspaper=The Washington Post|accessdate=June 8, 2020}}</ref> According to Mark Bray, "members hide their political activities from law enforcement and the far right" and "concerns about infiltration and high expectations of commitment keep the sizes of groups rather small".<ref name="Bray 2020"/>


According to the ] (ADL) the term ''antifa'' "is often misapplied to include all ]".<ref name="ADL page"/>
Activists typically organize protests via social media and through ].<ref name="SemesterOfHate"/> Some activists have built peer-to-peer networks, or use encrypted-texting services like ].<ref name="ViceBayAreaAntifa"/> Chauncey Devega of '']'' described antifa as an organizing strategy, not a group of people.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.salon.com/2017/07/20/antifa-is-not-a-group-of-people-it-has-a-long-legacy-in-this-country-of-people-resisting-white-supremacy-from-slave-rebellions-all-the-way-to-the-present/|title=There's a legacy of people resisting white supremacy in the US. Antifa is not new|first=Chauncey|last=Devega|website=Salon|date=July 20, 2017|accessdate=November 7, 2017}}</ref> According to one group member, antifa's identification research on whether an individual or group is "fascist, Alt Right, White Nationalist, etc." is "based on which groups they are a part of and endorse". While noting that "Nazis, fascists, white nationalists, anti-Semites and Islamophobes" are specific overlapping categories, the main focus is "on groups and individuals which endorse, or work directly in alliance with, white supremacists and white separatists. We try to be very clear and precise with how we use these terms".<ref name="AOL">{{cite news|last=Steakin|first=William|date=May 4, 2017|title=What is Antifa? Controversial far-left group defends use of violence|agency=AOL|url=https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/05/04/what-is-antifa-controversial-far-left-group-defends-use-of-violence/22067671|accessdate=August 15, 2017}}</ref> According to Colin Clarke and Michael Kenney, ] such as ], demonstrations against the ] provocateur ] and the clash with ] and ] at the ] "reflects many Antifa supporters' belief that Trump is a fascist demagogue who threatens the existence of America's pluralistic, multi-racial democracy. This factor helps explain why such Antifa supporters are so quick to label the president's 'Make America Great Again' supporters as fascists — and why Trump is so quick to label Antifa as a terrorist organization".<ref name="Clarke & Kenney">{{cite web|last1=Clarke|first1=Colin|last2=Kenney|first2=Michael|date=23 June 2020|url=https://warontherocks.com/2020/06/what-antifa-is-what-it-isnt-and-why-it-matters/|title=What Antifa Is, What It Isn't, and Why It Matters|website=War on the Rocks|accessdate=June 26, 2020}}</ref>


During the ], the term ''antifa'' became "a conservative catch-all" term as ], administration officials, Trump ], and ] commentators applied the label to all sorts of ] or ] protest actions.<ref name=Nguyen>{{cite news |last=Nguyen |first=Tina |date=June 2, 2020 |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/02/how-antifa-became-a-trump-catch-all-297921 |title=How 'antifa' became a Trump catch-all |newspaper=] |access-date=June 11, 2020 |archive-date=June 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611105118/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/02/how-antifa-became-a-trump-catch-all-297921 |url-status=live}}</ref> ] writers such as ] associated the tactics of ] with those of antifa.<ref name=Nguyen/> '']'' reported that "the term is a potent one for conservatives" because "t's the violent distillation of everything they fear could come to pass in an all-out culture war. And it's a quick way to brand part of the opposition."<ref name=Nguyen/> ], who teaches at ], argues that the popularization of the term ''antifa'' was a reaction to the popularization of the term '']'', "to the point where simply describes people who are anti-fascist or people who are against racism and are willing to protest against it."<ref name=Nguyen/>
The antifa movement has grown since the ]. As of August 2017, approximately 200 groups existed, of varying sizes and levels of activity.<ref name="American Antifa ideological lineage"/> It is particularly present in the ].<ref name=bowles/>

== Movement structure and ideology ==
]

Antifa is not a unified organization but rather a movement without a hierarchical leadership structure, comprising multiple autonomous groups and individuals.<ref name="ADL page"/><ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists"/><ref name=bray-wapo/><ref name="Fox & Tucker 2020"/> The movement is loosely affiliated<ref name=bbcantifa/> and has no chain of command, with antifa groups instead sharing "resources and information about far-right activity across regional and national borders through loosely knit networks and informal relationships of trust and solidarity."<ref name="factcheckDesignate" /><ref name="Bray 2020">{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Mark |date=June 1, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/06/01/trump-antifa-terrorist-organization/ |title=Antifa isn't the problem. Trump's bluster is a distraction from police violence |newspaper=] |access-date=June 8, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603120448/https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/06/01/trump-antifa-terrorist-organization/ |url-status=live}}</ref> According to Mark Bray, "members hide their political activities from law enforcement and the ]" and "concerns about infiltration and high expectations of commitment keep the sizes of groups rather small."<ref name="Bray 2020"/><ref name="factcheckDesignate">{{cite web |first1=Lori |last1=Robertson |access-date=May 18, 2021 |title=Trump Can't Designate Antifa - or Any Movement - Domestic Terrorist Organization |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/06/trump-cant-designate-antifa-or-any-movement-domestic-terrorist-organization/ |date=1 June 2020 |archive-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507193606/https://www.factcheck.org/2020/06/trump-cant-designate-antifa-or-any-movement-domestic-terrorist-organization/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Bray adds that "t's important to understand that antifa politics, and antifa's methods, are designed to stop white supremacists, fascists, and neo-Nazis as easily as possible."<ref name="Holland 2018"/> According to research by both Bray and scholar Stanislav Vysotsky, antifa methods are mostly nonviolent;<ref name="Jaccoud">{{cite journal |last1=Jaccoud |first1=Lachlan |last2=Molnar |first2=Lorena |last3=Aebi |first3=Marcelo F. |title=Antifa's Political Violence on Twitter: a Grounded Theory Approach |journal=European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research |date=September 2023 |volume=29 |issue=3 |pages=495–513 |doi=10.1007/s10610-023-09558-6|doi-access=free |issn = 0928-1371 }}</ref><ref name=bray-wapo/> analysis by the ] has reached the same conclusion.<ref name="wsjLevy">{{cite news |last1=Levy |first1=Rachel |title=What Is Antifa? |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/q-a-what-is-antifa-11598985917 |work=The Wall Street Journal |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200902121629/https://www.wsj.com/articles/q-a-what-is-antifa-11598985917 |archive-date=September 2, 2020}}</ref> According to Bray, "they function in some ways like private investigators; they track neo-Nazi organizing across multiple social-media platforms."<ref name="Holland 2018"/> In regard to ], Bray says that it is about "telling people that they have a Nazi living down the street, or telling employers that they're employing white supremacists", adding that "after Charlottesville, a lot of the repercussions that these khaki-wearing, tiki-torch white supremacists faced were their employers firing them and their families repudiating what they do."<ref name="Holland 2018"/>

Activists typically organize protests via social media and through websites.<ref name="SemesterOfHate"/> Some activists have built peer-to-peer networks, or use encrypted-texting services like ].<ref name="ViceBayAreaAntifa"/> Chauncey Devega of '']'' described antifa as an organizing strategy, not a group of people.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.salon.com/2017/07/20/antifa-is-not-a-group-of-people-it-has-a-long-legacy-in-this-country-of-people-resisting-white-supremacy-from-slave-rebellions-all-the-way-to-the-present/ |title=There's a legacy of people resisting white supremacy in the US. Antifa is not new |first=Chauncey |last=Devega |website=] |date=July 20, 2017 |access-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-date=November 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171106000412/https://www.salon.com/2017/07/20/antifa-is-not-a-group-of-people-it-has-a-long-legacy-in-this-country-of-people-resisting-white-supremacy-from-slave-rebellions-all-the-way-to-the-present/ |url-status=live}}</ref> According to a member of a New York City antifa group, their group's identification research on whether an individual or group is "fascist, Alt Right, White Nationalist, etc." is "based on which groups they are a part of and endorse." While noting that "Nazis, fascists, white nationalists, anti-Semites and Islamophobes" are specific overlapping categories, the main focus is "on groups and individuals which endorse, or work directly in alliance with, white supremacists and white separatists. We try to be very clear and precise with how we use these terms."<ref name="AOL">{{cite news |last=Steakin |first=William |date=May 4, 2017 |title=What is Antifa? Controversial far-left group defends use of violence |agency=] |url=https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/05/04/what-is-antifa-controversial-far-left-group-defends-use-of-violence/22067671 |access-date=August 15, 2017 |archive-date=August 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814100626/https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/05/04/what-is-antifa-controversial-far-left-group-defends-use-of-violence/22067671/ |url-status=live}}</ref> According to terrorism experts Colin Clarke and Michael Kenney, writing in ], ] such as ], demonstrations against the ] provocateur ] and the clash with ] and ] at the ] "reflects many Antifa supporters' belief that Trump is a fascist demagogue who threatens the existence of America's pluralistic, multi-racial democracy. This factor helps explain why such Antifa supporters are so quick to label the president's 'Make America Great Again' supporters as fascists — and why Trump is so quick to label Antifa as a terrorist organization."<ref name="Clarke & Kenney">{{cite web |last1=Clarke |first1=Colin |last2=Kenney |first2=Michael |date=June 23, 2020 |url=https://warontherocks.com/2020/06/what-antifa-is-what-it-isnt-and-why-it-matters/ |title=What Antifa Is, What It Isn't, and Why It Matters |website=War on the Rocks |access-date=June 26, 2020 |archive-date=June 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624164122/https://warontherocks.com/2020/06/what-antifa-is-what-it-isnt-and-why-it-matters/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The antifa movement grew after the ]. As of August 2017, approximately 200 groups existed, of varying sizes and levels of activity.<ref name="American Antifa ideological lineage"/> It is particularly active in the ],<ref name=bowles/> such as in ].<ref name="Mogelson 2020">{{cite magazine |last=Mogelson |first=Luke |date=October 24, 2020 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/11/02/trump-antifa-movement-portland |title=In the Streets with Antifa |magazine=] |access-date=October 30, 2020 |archive-date=October 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031080804/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/11/02/trump-antifa-movement-portland |url-status=live}}</ref>

Individuals involved in the antifa movement tend to hold ],<ref name="Bray intro"/> ],<ref name="bbcantifa w quote"/><ref name="eewia"/> ],<ref name="bbcantifa"/> and ] views,<ref name="Beinart 2017"/> subscribing to a varied range of ] ideologies.<ref name="cnnantifa"/> A majority of adherents are ], ], and other ] who describe themselves as ],<ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists"/> although some ] and others on the ],<ref name="Beinart 2017"/> among them ], ] and ] advocates,<ref name="Sacco 2020"/> also adhere to the antifa movement.<ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists"/> According to professor of journalism and political science at the ], ], "antifa is heavily composed of anarchists" and "its activists place little faith in the state, which they consider complicit in fascism and racism."<ref name="Beinart 2017"/> Antifa activists' ideologies, as well as their involvement in violent actions against far-right opponents and the police has led some scholars and news media to characterize the movement as ]<ref name="bogelburroughs" /><ref>Academic sources:
* {{cite encyclopedia |last1=Perliger |first1=Lauren R. |last2=Shapiro |first2=Arie |year=2018 |editor1-last=Maras |editor1-first=Marie-Helen |editor2-last=Sweeney |editor2-first=Matthew M. |title=Terrorism: Domestic |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Security and Emergency Management |location=New York |publisher=Springer International Publishing |pages=1–9 |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-69891-5_250-1 |isbn=978-3-319-69891-5 |s2cid=239822561 |quote= Antifa, a far-left anti-fascist movement. The American Far Left includes 'groups or individuals that embrace anticapitalist, Communist, or Socialist doctrines and to bring about change through violent revolution' (Department of Homeland Security 2009, p. 6).}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Alizadeh |first1=Meysam |last2=Weber |first2=Ingmar |last3=Cioffi-Revilla |first3=Claudio |last4=Fortunato |first4=Santo |last5=Macy |first5=Michael |s2cid=153314800 |year=2019 |title=Psychology and morality of political extremists: evidence from Twitter language analysis of alt-right and Antifa |journal=EPJ Data Science |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=17 |doi=10.1140/epjds/s13688-019-0193-9 |doi-access=free |issn=2193-1127 |quote= during 2016 and 2017, far-left movements in the U.S. such as Antifa were actively engaging in violent actions attacking alt-right demonstrators . While the antifascist movements seemed to be disappeared with the end of WWII, they are on rise in the United States and Europe, in part due to the growth of neo-Nazism (LaFree, Arlow).}}
* {{cite journal |last=Xu|first=Weiai Wayne |year=2020 |url=https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/11978 |title=Mapping Connective Actions in the Global Alt-Right and Antifa Counterpublics |journal=] |publisher=USC Annenberg Press |location=Los Angeles |volume=14 |pages=22 |issn=1932-8036 |access-date=June 12, 2020 |archive-date=June 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612162638/https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/11978 |url-status=live}}

News sources:
* {{cite news |title='Radical left bad people': Trump says Antifa groups will be labelled terrorists |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-01/trump-says-military-wont-intervene-in-george-floyd-riots-yet/12305850 |date=May 31, 2020 |agency=] |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200601030025/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-01/trump-says-military-wont-intervene-in-george-floyd-riots-yet/12305850 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |last1=Bogel-Burroughs |first1=Nicholas |last2=Garcia |first2=Sandra E. |date=May 31, 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/what-antifa-trump.html |title=What Is Antifa, the Movement Trump Wants to Declare a Terror Group? |newspaper=] |access-date=June 1, 2020 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=May 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524040058/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/02/us/what-is-antifa.html |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |title=President Trump deems Antifa a terrorist organization, points to far-left groups for many violent protests |url=https://www.wral.com/president-trump-deems-antifa-a-terrorist-organization-points-to-far-left-groups-for-many-violent-protests/19122917/ |last=Suerth |first=Jessica |date=May 31, 2020 |agency=]|access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603145522/https://www.wral.com/president-trump-deems-antifa-a-terrorist-organization-points-to-far-left-groups-for-many-violent-protests/19122917/ |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |title=George Floyd protests: as riots spread, officials fear right-wing extremists and Antifa fan the flames |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/as-riots-spread-officials-fear-extremists-are-fanning-the-flames-20200601-p54y8n.html |last1=Hennessey |first1=Kathleen |last2=Kunzelman |first2=Michael |date=May 31, 2020 |newspaper=] |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603145634/https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/as-riots-spread-officials-fear-extremists-are-fanning-the-flames-20200601-p54y8n.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Roston |first=Aram |date=August 25, 2021 |title=American Antifa: From Girl Scout to anarchist street warrior |language=en |work=] |url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-antifa-profile/ |access-date=December 7, 2021 |archive-date=November 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118005732/https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-antifa-profile/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dale |first=Daniel |date=March 2, 2021 |title=Anatomy of a lie: How the myth that Antifa stormed the Capitol became a widespread belief among Republicans |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/02/politics/fact-check-antifa-capitol-lie-republicans-polls/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 7, 2021 |work=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303025719/https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/02/politics/fact-check-antifa-capitol-lie-republicans-polls/index.html |archive-date=March 3, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Ormiston 2017" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ormiston |first=Susan |date=2017 |title=Antifa and the rise of far-left activism in the era of Trump |url=https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1053155395779 |url-status=live |access-date=December 7, 2021 |work=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925101926/http://www.cbc.ca:80/player/play/1053155395779 |archive-date=September 25, 2017}}</ref> and ].<ref name=bbcantifa/><ref name="SavageFight"/><ref>Academic sources:
* {{cite book |last=Vysotsky |first=Stanislav |year=2020 |title=American Antifa: The Tactics, Culture, and Practice of Militant Antifascism |publisher=] |location=London |isbn=978-0-429-26517-4 |doi=10.4324/9780429265174 |s2cid=243163820 |quote=Since the election of President Trump and the rise in racism and white supremacist activity, the militant anti-fascist movement known as antifa has become increasingly active and high profile in the United States.}}

News sources:
* {{cite news |last=Miller |first=Michael E. |date=September 14, 2017 |title=Antifa: Guardians against fascism or lawless thrill-seekers? |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/antifa-guardians-against-fascism-or-lawless-thrill-seekers/2017/09/14/38db474c-93fe-11e7-89fa-bb822a46da5b_story.html |access-date=October 13, 2017 |quote=It was a call to arms for militant anti-fascists, or 'antifa' – and Hines was heeding it. |archive-date=October 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014083513/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/antifa-guardians-against-fascism-or-lawless-thrill-seekers/2017/09/14/38db474c-93fe-11e7-89fa-bb822a46da5b_story.html |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |last1=Campos |first1=Robert |last2=Carroll |first2=Jeremy |last3=Guyen |first3=Vicky |last4=Jaworski |first4=Jonathan |last5=Jewett |first5=Chris |last6=Rutanashoodech |first6=Tony |date=September 27, 2017 |url=http://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/An-Inside-Look-at-the-Antifa-Movement--448068573.html |title=An Inside Look at the Antifa Movement |agency=] |access-date=October 13, 2017 |quote=NBC Bay Area sat down with several militant Antifa protesters . |archive-date=October 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014034631/http://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/An-Inside-Look-at-the-Antifa-Movement--448068573.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

In his article "The Rise of the Violent Left" for '']'', Beinart writes that antifa activists "prefer direct action: They pressure venues to deny white supremacists space to meet. They pressure employers to fire them and landlords to evict them. And when people they deem racists and fascists manage to assemble, antifa's partisans try to break up their gatherings, including by force."<ref name="Beinart 2017"/> According to historian ], an expert on the movement,<ref>{{cite news |last=Hawkins |first=Derek |date=August 29, 2017 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/28/a-dartmouth-antifa-expert-was-disavowed-by-his-college-president-for-supporting-violent-protest-angering-many-faculty/ |title=A Dartmouth antifa expert was disavowed by his college president for 'supporting violent protest,' angering many faculty |newspaper=] |access-date=June 4, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603170708/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/28/a-dartmouth-antifa-expert-was-disavowed-by-his-college-president-for-supporting-violent-protest-angering-many-faculty/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.vnews.com/Mark-Bray-Lecture-14977410 |title=Dartmouth Visiting Scholar Mark Bray Gives Talk on Antifa Movement |first=Rob |last=Wolfe |date=January 19, 2018 |access-date=May 20, 2021 |archive-date=May 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520210305/https://www.vnews.com/Mark-Bray-Lecture-14977410 |url-status=live}}</ref> the "vast majority of anti-fascist organizing is nonviolent. But their willingness to physically defend themselves and others from white supremacist violence and preemptively shut down fascist organizing efforts before they turn deadly distinguishes them from liberal anti-racists."<ref name="bray-wapo"/><ref name="Snopes.com 2017 manual" />

Described as a pan-leftist and non-hierarchical movement,<ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists"/> antifa is united by opposition to ] and ].<ref name="bbcantifa"/><ref name="Fuller"/> Antifa activists reject both ] and ] ].<ref name="Fuller">{{cite news |first1=Thomas |last1=Fuller |first2=Alan |last2=Feuer |first3=Serge F. |last3=Kovaleski |date=August 17, 2017 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/17/us/antifa-left-wing-faction-far-right.html|title='Antifa' Grows as Left-Wing Faction Set to, Literally, Fight the Far Right |newspaper=] |access-date=September 10, 2017 |quote= the diverse collection of anarchists, communists and socialists has found common cause in opposing right-wing extremists and white supremacists. |archive-date=September 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906050854/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/17/us/antifa-left-wing-faction-far-right.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists w quote"/><ref name="Context and timeliness"/> The antifa movement generally eschews mainstream ],<ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists"/> having "an illiberal disdain for the confines of mainstream politics",<ref name="Bray September 2020"/> and favoring ] over ].<ref name="bbcantifa"/><ref name="Fuller"/> Bray states that "he vast majority of antifa militants are radical anti-capitalists who oppose the Democratic Party" and that ] leaders, including ] and ], have condemned antifa and political violence more broadly.<ref name="Bray September 2020">{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Mark |date=September 11, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/five-myths/five-myths-about-antifa/2020/09/11/527071ac-f37b-11ea-bc45-e5d48ab44b9f_story.html |title=Five myths about antifa |newspaper=] |access-date=September 17, 2020 |archive-date=September 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200917070716/https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/five-myths/five-myths-about-antifa/2020/09/11/527071ac-f37b-11ea-bc45-e5d48ab44b9f_story.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="usatodayPepsico">{{cite web |first1=Devon |last1=Link |access-date=May 18, 2021 |title=Fact check: Allegations that PepsiCo donated to antifa are false |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/03/03/fact-check-claim-pepsico-donation-antifa-false/6871575002/ |website=] |archive-date=May 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518203838/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/03/03/fact-check-claim-pepsico-donation-antifa-false/6871575002/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Despite antifa's opposition to the Democratic Party and liberalism, some ] commentators have accused their adherents of being aided by "liberal sympathizers"<ref>{{cite news |last=Beinart |first=Peter |date=July 4, 2019 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/conservatives-conjure-liberal-support-antifa/593164/ |title=Conservatives Conjure Up Liberal Support for Antifa Violence |newspaper=] |publisher=Emerson Collective |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=December 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216024929/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/conservatives-conjure-liberal-support-antifa/593164/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and "affiliated with the Democratic Party"<ref name="Bray September 2020"/><ref name="usatodayPepsico" /> as well as being "a single organization", "funded by liberal financiers like ]", "mastermind violence at Black Lives Matter protests", and that "Antifascists are the 'real fascists'", with Bray citing these as examples of five myths about antifa.<ref name="Bray September 2020"/><ref name="usatodayPepsico" />

The ADL states that "ost antifa come from the anarchist movement or from the far left, though since the 2016 presidential election, some people with more mainstream political backgrounds have also joined their ranks."<ref name="ADL page"/> Similarly, Bray argues that "t's also important to remember that these are self-described revolutionaries. They're anarchists and communists who are way outside the traditional conservative-liberal spectrum."<ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists"/> ] notes that "hile antifa's political leanings are often described as 'far-left,' experts say members' radical views vary and can intersect with communism, socialism and anarchism."<ref>{{cite news |last=Mallin |first=Alexander |date=June 3, 2020 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/antifa-group-trump-designate-terrorist-organization/story?id=71045287 |title=What is antifa? Behind the group Trump wants to designate as a terrorist organization |agency=] |access-date=June 8, 2020 |archive-date=June 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607234235/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/antifa-group-trump-designate-terrorist-organization/story?id=71045287 |url-status=live}}</ref> According to ], "Antifa is short for anti-fascists. The term is used to define a broad group of people whose political beliefs lean toward the left -- often the far left -- but do not conform with the Democratic Party platform."<ref name="SeurthWhatIs"/> The ] notes that, "as their name indicates, Antifa focuses more on fighting far-right ideology than encouraging pro-left policy."<ref name=bbcantifa/> Beinart argues that the ] vitalized the antifa movement and some on the mainstream left were more willing to support them as a tactical opposition.<ref name="Beinart 2017"/>


== History == == History ==
=== Background ===
{{see|Antifa movements}}
{{further|Post-World War II anti-fascism}}
{{multiple image {{multiple image
| align = right | align = right
Line 43: Line 108:
| image1 = Antifalogo alt2.svg | image1 = Antifalogo alt2.svg
| caption1 = Logo of '']'', the militant anti-fascist network in 1930s Germany that inspired the antifa movement | caption1 = Logo of '']'', the militant anti-fascist network in 1930s Germany that inspired the antifa movement
| image2 = 2017.03.04 Pro-Trump Rallies Washington, DC USA 00360 (33211221516) cropped.jpg
| image2 = Antifa 2008 Köln.jpg
| caption2 = The logo as it appears on a flag held by an antifa protester in ], Germany in 2008 | caption2 = A variant of the logo on a flag held by a ]er at one of the several ] demonstrations in Washington, D.C. in 2017
}} }}
When Italian dictator ] consolidated power under his ] in the mid-1920s, an oppositional ] movement surfaced both in Italy and countries such as the United States. Many anti-fascist leaders in the United States were anarchist, socialist and ] émigrés from Italy with experience in labor organizing and militancy.<ref name=Cannistraro-1985>{{cite journal |last1=Cannistraro |first1=Philip V. |title=Luigi Antonini and the Italian Anti-Fascist Movement in the United States, 1940-1943 |journal=Journal of American Ethnic History |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=21–40 |date=1985 |issn=0278-5927 |jstor=27500414 }}</ref><!-- Plenty more in this source. --> Ideologically, antifa in the United States sees itself as the successor to anti-Nazi activists of the 1930s. European activist groups that originally organized to oppose ]-era fascist dictatorships re-emerged in the 1970s and 1980s to oppose ] and ]s, eventually spreading to the United States.<ref name="American Antifa ideological lineage"/> When Italian dictator ] consolidated power under his ] in the mid-1920s, an oppositional ] movement surfaced both in Italy and countries such as the United States. Many anti-fascist leaders in the United States were anarchist, socialist, and ] émigrés from Italy with experience in labor organizing and militancy.<ref name=Cannistraro-1985>{{cite journal |last=Cannistraro |first=Philip V. |date=Fall 1985 |title=Luigi Antonini and the Italian Anti-Fascist Movement in the United States, 1940–1943 |journal=] |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=21–40 |issn=0278-5927 |jstor=27500414}}</ref><!-- Plenty more in this source. --> Ideologically, antifa in the United States sees itself as the successor to anti-Nazi activists of the 1930s. European activist groups that originally organized to oppose ]-era fascist dictatorships re-emerged in the 1970s and 1980s to oppose ] and ]s, eventually spreading to the United States.<ref name="American Antifa ideological lineage"/>


Modern antifa politics can be traced to opposition to the infiltration of Britain's ] scene by ] in the 1970s and 1980s, and the emergence of ] in Germany following the ].<ref name="BeinartAtlantic"/> In Germany, young leftists, including anarchists and punk fans, renewed the practice of street-level anti-fascism.<ref name="BeinartAtlantic"/> Columnist ] writes that "in the late '80s, left-wing punk fans in the United States began following suit, though they initially called their groups ] (ARA) on the theory that Americans would be more familiar with fighting racism than they would be with fighting fascism".<ref name="BeinartAtlantic"/> Modern antifa politics can be traced to opposition to the infiltration of Britain's ] scene by ] in the 1970s and 1980s, and the emergence of ] in Germany following the ].<ref name="Beinart 2017"/> In Germany, young leftists, including anarchists and punk fans, renewed the practice of street-level anti-fascism.<ref name="Beinart 2017"/> ] writes that "n the late '80s, left-wing punk fans in the United States began following suit, though they initially called their groups Anti-Racist Action, on the theory that Americans would be more familiar with fighting racism than they would be with fighting fascism."<ref name="Beinart 2017"/>


] historian Mark Bray, author of '']'', credits the ARA as the precursor of modern antifa groups in the United States.<ref name="Bray intro"/> In the late 1980s and 1990s, ARA activists toured with popular punk rock and skinhead bands in order to prevent ], neo-Nazis and other assorted white supremacists from recruiting.<ref name="BeinartAtlantic"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-antifa-history-20170816-story.html|title=Anarchists and the antifa: The history of activists Trump condemns as the 'alt-left'|last=Stein|first=Perry|work=Chicago Tribune.com|date=August 16, 2017|accessdate=November 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Skinheads at Forty|url=http://www.citypages.com/2008-02-20/feature/skinheads-at-forty/|work=City Pages|accessdate=July 29, 2012|first=Matt|last=Snyders|date=February 20, 2008|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120803021740/http://www.citypages.com/2008-02-20/feature/skinheads-at-forty/|archivedate=August 3, 2012}}</ref> Their motto was "We go where they go" by which they meant that they would confront ] activists in concerts and actively remove their materials from public places.<ref name=bray-wapo>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2017/08/16/who-are-the-antifa/|title=Who are the antifa?|last=Bray|first=Mark|date=August 16, 2017|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=November 10, 2017|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In 2002, the ARA disrupted a speech in Pennsylvania by ], the head of the white supremacist group ], resulting in a fight and twenty-five arrests.<ref name="BeinartAtlantic"/> One of the earliest antifa groups in the United States was ] which was formed in ] in 2007.<ref name="bogelburroughs"/> Other antifa groups in the United States have other genealogies. In ], a group called the Baldies was formed in 1987 with the intent to fight neo-Nazi groups directly.<ref name="eewia"/> ] historian Mark Bray, author of '']'', credits ] (ARA) as the precursor of modern antifa groups in the United States.<ref name="Bray intro"/><ref name="nbcnews.com"/> In the late 1980s and 1990s, ARA activists toured with popular punk rock and skinhead bands in order to prevent ], neo-Nazis and other assorted white supremacists from recruiting.<ref name="Beinart 2017"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-antifa-history-20170816-story.html |title=Anarchists and the antifa: The history of activists Trump condemns as the 'alt-left' |last=Stein |first=Perry |newspaper=] |date=August 16, 2017 |access-date=November 10, 2017 |archive-date=April 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415041916/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-antifa-history-20170816-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Skinheads at Forty |url=http://www.citypages.com/2008-02-20/feature/skinheads-at-forty/ |newspaper=] |access-date=July 29, 2012 |first=Matt |last=Snyders |date=February 20, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120803021740/http://www.citypages.com/2008-02-20/feature/skinheads-at-forty/ |archive-date=August 3, 2012}}</ref> Their motto was "We go where they go", by which they meant that they would confront ] activists in concerts and actively remove their materials from public places.<ref name="Mogelson 2020"/><ref name=bray-wapo>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2017/08/16/who-are-the-antifa/ |title=Who are the antifa? |last=Bray |first=Mark |date=August 16, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=November 10, 2017 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=May 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522155111/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2017/08/16/who-are-the-antifa/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2002, ARA disrupted a speech in Pennsylvania by ], the head of the white supremacist group ], resulting in a fight and 25 arrests.<ref name="Beinart 2017"/>


In 2007, ], likely the first group to utilize the name antifa, was formed in ] by former ARA members.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Mogelson |first=Luke |date=November 2, 2020 |title=In the Streets with Antifa |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/11/02/trump-antifa-movement-portland |magazine=] |language=en-us |quote=In 2007, neo-Nazis attempting to reinvigorate the vestiges of war planned to hold a white-power music festival near Portland. Former A.R.A. members helped local residents pressure the host venue to pull out. Half a dozen of these activists, sensing a need for renewed vigilance, created Rose City Antifa—the first official antifascist organization in America. |access-date=December 1, 2020 |archive-date=November 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123140832/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/11/02/trump-antifa-movement-portland |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Sacco 2020">{{cite web |last=Sacco |first=Lisa N. |date=June 9, 2020 |url=https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10839 |title=Are Antifa Members Domestic Terrorists? Background on Antifa and Federal Classification of Their Actions InFocus IF10839 |publisher=Congressional Research Service |access-date=September 9, 2020 |archive-date=September 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915115946/https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10839|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bogel-Burroughs |first1=Nicholas |last2=Garcia |first2=Sandra E. |date=September 28, 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/what-antifa-trump.html |title=What Is Antifa, the Movement Trump Wants to Declare a Terror Group? |newspaper=] |access-date=October 1, 2020 |quote=One of the first groups in the United States to use the name was Rose City Antifa, which says it was founded in 2007 in Portland. |archive-date=May 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524040058/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/02/us/what-is-antifa.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Other antifa groups in the United States have other genealogies. In ], a group called the Baldies was formed in 1987 with the intent to fight neo-Nazi groups directly.<ref name="eewia" /> In 2013, the "most radical" chapters of ARA formed the ],<ref>{{cite news |last=Enzinna |first=Wes |date=April 27, 2017 |url=http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/04/anti-racist-antifa-tinley-park-five/|title=Inside the Underground Anti-Racist Movement That Brings the Fight to White Supremacists |newspaper=] |access-date=September 9, 2020 |archive-date=September 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911233232/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/04/anti-racist-antifa-tinley-park-five/ |url-status=live}}</ref> which has chapters throughout the United States.<ref>{{cite news |last=Strickland |first=Patrick |date=February 21, 2017 |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/02/anti-fascists-racists-afraid-170221100950730.html |title=US anti-fascists: 'We can make racists afraid again' |agency=] |access-date=September 9, 2020 |archive-date=May 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527203714/https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/02/anti-fascists-racists-afraid-170221100950730.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Other antifa groups are a part of different associations such as NYC Antifa or operate independently.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lennard |first=Natasha |date=January 19, 2017 |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/anti-fascist-activists-are-fighting-the-alt-right-in-the-streets/ |title=Anti-Fascists Will Fight Trump's Fascism in the Streets |newspaper=] |access-date=September 9, 2020 |archive-date=August 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815183536/https://www.thenation.com/article/anti-fascist-activists-are-fighting-the-alt-right-in-the-streets/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
== Activities ==
According to Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at the ], antifa activists feel the need to participate in violent actions because "they believe that elites are controlling the government and the media. So they need to make a statement head-on against the people who they regard as racist".<ref name="SeurthWhatIs"/> Historian Mark Bray wrote that the adherents "reject turning to the police or the state to halt the advance of white supremacy. Instead they advocate popular opposition to fascism as we witnessed in Charlottesville".<ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists"/> The idea of ] is central to the antifa movement.<ref name="Beinart"/> Former antifa organizer ] told an interviewer:
{{quote|The idea in Antifa is that we go where they (right-wingers) go. That hate speech is not free speech. That if you are endangering people with what you say and the actions that are behind them, then you do not have the right to do that. And so we go to cause conflict, to shut them down where they are, because we don't believe that Nazis or fascists of any stripe should have a mouthpiece.<ref name="SeurthWhatIs"/>}}


=== Activities ===
A manual posted on ''It's Going Down'', an anarchist website, warns against accepting "people who just want to fight". It furthermore notes that "physically confronting and defending against fascists is a necessary part of anti-fascist work, but is not the only or even necessarily the most important part".<ref name="Community Organizing"/>
According to Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at the ], antifa activists feel the need to participate in violent actions because "they believe that elites are controlling the government and the media. So they need to make a statement head-on against the people who they regard as racist."<ref name="SeurthWhatIs"/> Historian Mark Bray wrote that the adherents "reject turning to the police or the state to halt the advance of white supremacy. Instead they advocate popular opposition to fascism as we witnessed in Charlottesville."<ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists"/> The idea of ] is central to the antifa movement.<ref name="Beinart"/> Former antifa organizer ] told an interviewer:
{{blockquote|The idea in Antifa is that we go where they (right-wingers) go. That hate speech is not free speech. That if you are endangering people with what you say and the actions that are behind them, then you do not have the right to do that. And so we go to cause conflict, to shut them down where they are, because we don't believe that Nazis or fascists of any stripe should have a mouthpiece.<ref name="SeurthWhatIs"/>}}


A manual posted on '']'', an anarchist website, warns against accepting "people who just want to fight". Furthermore, the website notes that "physically confronting and defending against fascists is a necessary part of anti-fascist work, but is not the only or even necessarily the most important part."<ref name="Community Organizing"/>
] activists with modified ] and ] in a protest against ] in 2017]]
According to Beinart, antifa activists "try to publicly identify white supremacists and get them fired from their jobs and evicted from their apartments" and also "disrupt white-supremacist rallies, including by force".<ref name="Beinart"/> A '']'' book review reports: "Antifa tactics include '],' i.e. denying their targets the opportunity to speak out in public; obstructing their events and defacing their propaganda; and, when antifa activists deem it necessary, deploying violence to deter them".<ref name="Context and timeliness"/> According to ], antifa's "approach is confrontational" and "people who speak for the Antifa movement acknowledge they sometimes carry clubs and sticks".<ref name="MannUnity"/> ] describes antifa as "known for causing damage to property during protests".<ref name="SeurthWhatIs"/> Scott Crow says that antifa adherents believe that property destruction does not "equate to violence".<ref name="SeurthWhatIs"/> According to the '']'', they have engaged in "mob violence, attacking a small showing of supporters of President Trump and others they accused, sometimes inaccurately, of being white supremacists or Nazis".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-far-left-violence-20170829-story.html|title='Antifa' violence in Berkeley spurs soul-searching within leftist activist community|last1=John|first1=Paige St.|date=August 29, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=September 2, 2017|last2=Queally|first2=James|issn=0458-3035}}</ref> Antifa activists used clubs and dyed liquids against white supremacists in Charlottesville.<ref name=QiuAltLeft/> According to '']'', police asked persons carrying firearms (including both antifa members and members of the far-right ] group ]) at a September 2017 rally in Kansas City to remove ammunition from their weapons.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article172286812.html|title=KC police disarm antifa groups, others at Washington Square rally|last=Davis|first=Mark|date=September 9, 2017|work=Kansas City Star|accessdate=July 27, 2019}}</ref>


] and a ] containing the ] in a 2017 protest]]
Apart from the other activities, antifa activists engage in ] such as disaster response in the case of ].<ref>{{cite news|last=Bernd|first=Candice|date=September 7, 2017|url=https://www.salon.com/2017/09/07/antifa-and-leftists-organize-mutual-aid-and-rescue-networks-in-houston_partner/|title=Antifa and leftists organize mutual aid and rescue networks in Houston|website=Salon|accessdate=November 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Anarchists & Antifa Relief"/><ref name="Antifa are on the ground in Texas helping flooding relief efforts"/> According to Natasha Lennard in '']'', antifa groups as of January 2017 were working with ] groups and churches "to create a New ], continuing and expanding a 40-year-old practice of providing spaces for refugees and immigrants".<ref name="LennardStreets"/> Antifa activists also conduct research to monitor far-right activity, hold conferences and workshops on anti-fascist activism, distribute literature at book fairs and film festivals as well as advocating ways of "fostering sustainable, peaceful communities" such as working in ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/antifa-on-trial-how-a-college-professor-joined-the-lefts-radical-ranks-630213/|title=Antifa on Trial: How a College Professor Joined the Left's Radical Ranks|last=Feuer|first=Alan|date=May 15, 2018|newspaper=Rolling Stone|accessdate=July 13, 2019}}</ref>
According to Beinart, antifa activists "try to publicly identify white supremacists and get them fired from their jobs and evicted from their apartments" and also "disrupt white-supremacist rallies, including by force."<ref name="Beinart"/> A book review in '']'' reported that "Antifa tactics include '],' i.e. denying their targets the opportunity to speak out in public; obstructing their events and defacing their propaganda; and, when antifa activists deem it necessary, deploying violence to deter them."<ref name="Context and timeliness"/> According to ], antifa's "approach is confrontational" and "people who speak for the Antifa movement acknowledge they sometimes carry clubs and sticks."<ref name="MannUnity"/> ] describes antifa as "known for causing damage to property during protests."<ref name="SeurthWhatIs"/> Scott Crow says that antifa adherents believe that property destruction does not "equate to violence".<ref name="SeurthWhatIs"/> According to the '']'', antifa protesters have engaged in "mob violence, attacking a small showing of supporters of President Trump and others they accused, sometimes inaccurately, of being white supremacists or Nazis."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-far-left-violence-20170829-story.html |title='Antifa' violence in Berkeley spurs soul-searching within leftist activist community |last1=John |first1=Paige St. |date=August 29, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=September 2, 2017 |last2=Queally |first2=James |issn=0458-3035 |archive-date=September 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902135918/http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-far-left-violence-20170829-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Antifa activists also used clubs and dyed liquids against white supremacists in Charlottesville.<ref name=QiuAltLeft/> Media have reported on specific instances of antifa protesters harassing or attacking journalists or causing damage to their equipment, while they were documenting protests — namely reporters of '']'',<ref>{{cite news |title=Antifa protesters couldn't find any fascists at Unite the Right — and harassed the press instead |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2018/08/13/antifa-protesters-couldnt-find-any-fascists-at-unite-the-right-and-harassed-the-press-instead/ |newspaper=] |first=Avi |last=Selk |access-date=August 26, 2021 |archive-date=August 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180816030617/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2018/08/13/antifa-protesters-couldnt-find-any-fascists-at-unite-the-right-and-harassed-the-press-instead/ |url-status=live}}</ref> a contributor to ] and ],<ref>{{cite news |title=Columbia Journalism Review: Threat tracker |url=https://www.cjr.org/special_report/press-freedom.php |access-date=26 August 2021 |work=] |language=en |archive-date=August 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826113738/https://www.cjr.org/special_report/press-freedom.php |url-status=live}}</ref> and others.<ref>{{cite news |title=You can support antifa without justifying repeated physical attacks on journalists |url=https://freedom.press/news/you-can-support-antifa-without-justifying-repeated-physical-attacks-journalists/ |work=] |first=Trevor |last=Timm |date=13 August 2018 |access-date=26 August 2021 |archive-date=August 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826112310/https://freedom.press/news/you-can-support-antifa-without-justifying-repeated-physical-attacks-journalists/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Washington |first1=Alistair Dawber |title=Portland clashes: Anti-fascist protesters fire paintballs at reporter Maranie Staab |work=] |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/portland-clashes-anti-fascist-protesters-fire-paintballs-at-reporter-maranie-staab-f859p8g6j |language=en |access-date=August 26, 2021 |archive-date=August 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826112308/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/portland-clashes-anti-fascist-protesters-fire-paintballs-at-reporter-maranie-staab-f859p8g6j |url-status=live}}</ref> According to '']'', police asked persons carrying firearms (including both antifa members and members of the far-right ] group ]) at a September 2017 rally in Kansas City to remove ammunition from their weapons.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article172286812.html |title=KC police disarm antifa groups, others at Washington Square rally |last=Davis |first=Mark |date=September 9, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=July 27, 2019 |archive-date=July 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727181928/https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article172286812.html |url-status=live}}</ref>


Apart from the other activities, antifa activists engage in ] such as disaster response in the case of ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Bernd |first=Candice |date=September 7, 2017 |url=https://www.salon.com/2017/09/07/antifa-and-leftists-organize-mutual-aid-and-rescue-networks-in-houston_partner/ |title=Antifa and leftists organize mutual aid and rescue networks in Houston |website=] |access-date=November 13, 2018 |archive-date=August 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830035038/https://www.salon.com/2017/09/07/antifa-and-leftists-organize-mutual-aid-and-rescue-networks-in-houston_partner/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Anarchists & Antifa Relief"/><ref name="Antifa are on the ground in Texas helping flooding relief efforts"/> According to Natasha Lennard in '']'', antifa groups as of January 2017 were working with ] groups and churches "to create a New ], continuing and expanding a 40-year-old practice of providing spaces for refugees and immigrants."<ref name="LennardStreets"/>
Antifa activists often use the ] tactic in which people dress in black and cover their faces in order to thwart surveillance and create a sense of equality and solidarity among participants.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/style/black-bloc-fashion.html|title=What to Wear to Smash the State|date=November 29, 2017|accessdate=August 9, 2018|work=The New York Times|first=Rick|last=Paulas}}</ref> Antifa activists wear masks to hide their "identity from protestors on the other side (who might ] people they disagree with) or from police and cameras" and for philosophical reasons such as the beliefs that "hierarchies are bad and that remaining anonymous helps keep one's ego in check".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://time.com/4899658/charlottesville-antifa-protests/ |title=What Is Antifa? Anti-Fascist Protesters Draw Attention After Charlottesville|last=Steinmetz|first=Katy|date=August 14, 2017|work=Time|accessdate=July 13, 2019}}</ref> Joseph Bernstein from '']'' says antifa activists also wear masks because "they fear retribution from the far right and the cops, whom they believe are sympathetic if not outright supportive to fascists".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/josephbernstein/andy-ngo-portland-antifa|title=Andy Ngo Has The Newest New Media Career. It's Made Him A Victim And A Star.|last=Bernstein|first=Joseph|date=July 18, 2019|website=BuzzFeed News|accessdate=27 July 2019}}</ref>


Antifa activists often use the ] tactic in which people dress in black and cover their faces in order to thwart surveillance and create a sense of equality and solidarity among participants.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/style/black-bloc-fashion.html |title=What to Wear to Smash the State |date=November 29, 2017 |access-date=August 9, 2018 |newspaper=] |first=Rick |last=Paulas |archive-date=August 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806024620/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/style/black-bloc-fashion.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Antifa activists wear masks to hide their "identity from protestors on the other side (who might ] people they disagree with) or from police and cameras" and for philosophical reasons such as the beliefs that "hierarchies are bad and that remaining anonymous helps keep one's ego in check."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://time.com/4899658/charlottesville-antifa-protests/ |title=What Is Antifa? Anti-Fascist Protesters Draw Attention After Charlottesville |last=Steinmetz |first=Katy |date=August 14, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=July 13, 2019 |archive-date=June 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621232609/https://time.com/4899658/charlottesville-antifa-protests/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Joseph Bernstein from '']'' says that antifa activists also wear masks because "they fear retribution from the far right and the cops, whom they believe are sympathetic if not outright supportive to fascists."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/josephbernstein/andy-ngo-portland-antifa |title=Meet Andy Ngo: The Man Whose Attack By Portland Antifa Has Made Him a Victim and a Star |last=Bernstein |first=Joseph |date=July 18, 2019 |website=] |access-date=July 27, 2019 |archive-date=July 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728222158/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/josephbernstein/andy-ngo-portland-antifa |url-status=live}}</ref>
When antifa became prominent in the news during the ] and was under attack for being responsible for much, if not most of the violence, a report in '']'' stated that "embers of antifa groups do more conventional activism, flyer campaigns, and community organizing, on behalf of anti-racist and anti-white nationalist causes", quoting Mark Bray as saying that this was the "vast majority" of what they did.<ref>{{cite news|last=Beauchamp|first=Zack|date=June 8, 2020|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/6/8/21277320/antifa-anti-fascist-explained|title=Antifa, explained|website=Vox|accessdate=June 12, 2020}}</ref> In August 2020, many small business owners interviewed by '']'' in what was the ] in Seattle blamed people they identifed as antifa for much of the violence and intimidation of their patrons while distinguishing antifa from ].<ref name="bowles">{{cite news|last=Bowles|first=Nellie|date=August 7, 2020|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/07/us/defund-police-seattle-protests.html|title=Abolish the Police? Those Who Survived the Chaos in Seattle Aren't So Sure|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=August 10, 2020}}</ref>


When antifa became prominent in the news during the ] and was under attack for being responsible for much, if not most of the violence, a report in '']'' stated that "embers of antifa groups do more conventional activism, flyer campaigns, and community organizing, on behalf of anti-racist and anti-white nationalist causes", quoting Mark Bray as saying that this was the "vast majority" of what they did.<ref name="Beauchamp 2020">{{cite news |last=Beauchamp |first=Zack |date=June 8, 2020 |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/6/8/21277320/antifa-anti-fascist-explained |title=Antifa, explained |website=] |access-date=June 12, 2020 |archive-date=June 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611144231/https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/6/8/21277320/antifa-anti-fascist-explained |url-status=live}}</ref> In July 2020, '']'' reported that "a California-based organizer and anti-fascist activist" stated she saw "Trump's claims about antifa violence, particularly during the George Floyd protests, as a message to his 'hardcore' supporters that it was appropriate to attack people who came out to protest."<ref name="Beckett 2020"/> In August 2020, many small business owners interviewed by '']'' in what was the ] in Seattle blamed people they identified as antifa for much of the violence and intimidation of their patrons while distinguishing antifa from Black Lives Matter.<ref name="bowles">{{cite news |last=Bowles |first=Nellie |date=August 7, 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/07/us/defund-police-seattle-protests.html |title=Abolish the Police? Those Who Survived the Chaos in Seattle Aren't So Sure |newspaper=] |access-date=August 10, 2020 |archive-date=August 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809202858/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/07/us/defund-police-seattle-protests.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
== Notable actions ==
=== 2016–2017 ===
Antifa groups, along with black bloc activists, were among those who protested the 2016 election of ].<ref name="SavageFight"/><ref name="BeinartAtlantic"/><ref name="LennardStreets"/> They also participated in the ] against ] provocateur<ref name="StandardWhoIs"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/09/business/alt-right-silicon-valley-google-memo.html|title=The Alt-Right Finds a New Enemy in Silicon Valley|first=Kevin|last=Roose|date=August 9, 2017|work=The New York Times|accessdate=September 23, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsweek.com/alt-right-leaders-are-addressing-largest-white-nationalist-rally-decades-650096|title=Who are the alt-right leaders and provocateurs addressing the Charlottesville white nationalist rally?|first=Tom|last=Porter|date=August 12, 2017|work=Newsweek|accessdate=September 23, 2017}}</ref> speaker ], where they gained mainstream attention,<ref name="SemesterOfHate"/> with media reporting them "throwing Molotov cocktails and smashing windows"<ref name="SeurthWhatIs"/> and causing $100,000 worth of damage.<ref name="SwensonAntifaAttack"/>


=== Notable actions ===
In April 2017, the Direct Action Alliance and the Oregon Students Empowered, described as "two self-described antifascist groups", threatened to disrupt the ] in Portland, Oregon after hearing that the ] ] would participate. The parade organizers also received an anonymous email, reading: "You have seen how much power we have downtown and that the police cannot stop us from shutting down roads so please consider your decision wisely". The two groups denied having anything to do with the email. The parade was ultimately canceled by the organizers due to safety concerns.<ref>{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Doug|title=82nd Avenue of the Roses Parade Cancelled after Threats of Political Protests, Violence|url=http://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2017/04/25/18973706/82nd-avenue-of-the-roses-parade-cancelled-after-threats-of-political-protests-violence|accessdate=August 16, 2017|work=The Portland Mercury|date=April 25, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Mettler|first1=Katie|title=Portland rose parade canceled after 'antifascists' threaten GOP marchers|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/04/27/portland-rose-parade-canceled-after-antifascists-threaten-gop-marchers|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=August 14, 2017|date=April 27, 2017}}</ref>
Along with ] activists, antifa groups were among those who protested the 2016 election of ].<ref name="Beinart 2017"/><ref name="SavageFight"/><ref name="LennardStreets"/> Antifa activists also participated in the ] against ] provocateur<ref name="StandardWhoIs"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/09/business/alt-right-silicon-valley-google-memo.html |title=The Alt-Right Finds a New Enemy in Silicon Valley |first=Kevin |last=Roose |date=August 9, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=September 23, 2017 |archive-date=September 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930202254/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/09/business/alt-right-silicon-valley-google-memo.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newsweek.com/alt-right-leaders-are-addressing-largest-white-nationalist-rally-decades-650096 |title=Who are the alt-right leaders and provocateurs addressing the Charlottesville white nationalist rally? |first=Tom |last=Porter |date=August 12, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=September 23, 2017 |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813192729/http://www.newsweek.com/alt-right-leaders-are-addressing-largest-white-nationalist-rally-decades-650096 |url-status=live}}</ref> speaker ], where antifa gained mainstream attention,<ref name="SemesterOfHate"/> with media reporting antifa protesters "throwing Molotov cocktails and smashing windows"<ref name="SeurthWhatIs"/> and causing $100,000 worth of damage.<ref name="SwensonAntifaAttack"/>


In August 2017, antifa counter-protesters at the ] in ], reported '']'', "used clubs and dyed liquids against the white supremacists".<ref name=QiuAltLeft/> Journalist Adele Stan interviewed an antifa protester at the rally who said the sticks carried by the protesters were a justifiable countermeasure to the fact that "the right has a goon squad".<ref name="StanBeginning"/> Some antifa participants at the Charlottesville rally chanted that counter-protesters should "punch a Nazi in the mouth".<ref name="MannUnity"/> Antifa participants also protected ] and various clergy from attack by white supremacists, with West stating he felt that antifa had "saved his life".<ref name=slate/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/aug/22/antifa-anti-fascist-handbook-trump-us-politics-far-right-charlottesville|title=Antifa: the Anti-fascist Handbook|last=Flood|first=Alison|date=August 22, 2017|work=The Guardian|quote=What Trump said made the book seem even more urgent. Rushed into print after the US president said there were 'fine people on both sides' of the Charlottesville clashes, Mark Bray's guide provides tactics for those hoping to 'defeat the resurgent far right.'|accessdate=August 27, 2017}}</ref> Antifa activists also defended the First United Methodist Church, where the Charlottesville Clergy Collective provided refreshments, music and training to the counter-protesters. According to a local rabbi, they "chased off with sticks".<ref name=slate/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2017/07/charlottesville-activists-religious-leaders-to-counter-kkk-rally-with-community-events-saturday|title=Charlottesville activists, religious leaders to counter KKK rally with community events Saturday|last=Bellows|first=Kate|date=July 6, 2017|work=The Cavalier Daily|accessdate=August 30, 2017}}</ref> In August 2017, antifa counter-protesters at the ] in ], reported '']'', "used clubs and dyed liquids against the white supremacists."<ref name="QiuAltLeft" /> Groups preparing to protest the ] saw their plans become viral following the violence in Charlottesville. The event drew a largely peaceful crowd of 40,000 counter-protesters. In '']'', ] stated that the 33 people arrested for violent incidents were "mostly egged on by the minority of 'Antifa' agitators in the crowd."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/boston-free-speech-rally/537435/ |title=The far right's day in Boston |first=McKay |last=Coppins |newspaper=] |date=August 19, 2017 |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831083348/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/boston-free-speech-rally/537435/ |url-status=live}}</ref>


Groups that had been preparing to protest the ] saw their plans become viral following the violence in Charlottesville. The event drew a largely peaceful crowd of 40,000 counter-protesters. In '']'', ] stated that the 33 people arrested for violent incidents were "mostly egged on by the minority of 'Antifa' agitators in the crowd".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/boston-free-speech-rally/537435/|title=The far right's day in Boston|first=McKay|last=Coppins|work=The Atlantic|date=August 19, 2017|accessdate=August 30, 2017}}</ref> President Trump described the protesters outside his August 2017 rally in ] as "antifa".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/23/donald-trump-arizona-rally-phoenix|title=Trump paints himself as the real victim of Charlottesville in angry speech|work=The Guardian|first=David|last=Smith|date=August 23, 2017|accessdate=November 7, 2017}}</ref> President Trump described the protesters outside his August 2017 rally in ] as "antifa".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/23/donald-trump-arizona-rally-phoenix |title=Trump paints himself as the real victim of Charlottesville in angry speech |newspaper=] |first=David |last=Smith |date=August 23, 2017 |access-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-date=November 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110163507/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/23/donald-trump-arizona-rally-phoenix |url-status=live}}</ref>


]
During a ], 2017, an estimated one hundred antifa protesters joined a crowd of 2,000–4,000 other protesters to confront alt-right demonstrators and Trump supporters who showed up for a "Say No to Marxism" rally that had been cancelled by organizers due to security concerns.<ref name="SwensonAntifaAttack"/><ref name="BowmanRally"/> Protestors threatened to smash the cameras of anyone who filmed them.<ref name="queally"/> ], the mayor of Berkeley, suggested classifying the city's antifa as a gang.<ref>{{cite web|last=Porter|first=Tom|url=http://www.newsweek.com/berkeley-mayor-calls-antifa-be-classified-crime-gang-after-clashes-sunday-656286|title=Berkeley's mayor wants antifa to be classified as a gang|date=August 29, 2017|work=Newsweek|accessdate=August 29, 2017}}</ref> The far-right group Patriot Prayer cancelled an event in San Francisco the same day following counter protests. Joey Gibson, the founder of Patriot Prayer, blamed antifa, along with ], for breaking up the event.<ref name="Bauer"/>
During the ], an estimated one hundred antifa and anarchist protesters joined a crowd of 2,000–4,000 other protesters to confront alt-right demonstrators and Trump supporters who showed up for a "Say No to Marxism" rally that had been cancelled by organizers due to security concerns.<ref name="SwensonAntifaAttack"/><ref name="BowmanRally"/><ref name="queally"/> Following the incident, ], the mayor of Berkeley, suggested classifying the city's antifa as a gang.<ref>{{cite news |last=Porter |first=Tom |url=http://www.newsweek.com/berkeley-mayor-calls-antifa-be-classified-crime-gang-after-clashes-sunday-656286 |title=Berkeley's mayor wants antifa to be classified as a gang |date=August 29, 2017 |work=] |access-date=August 29, 2017 |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829181339/http://www.newsweek.com/berkeley-mayor-calls-antifa-be-classified-crime-gang-after-clashes-sunday-656286 |url-status=live}}</ref>]
In November 2018, police investigated a left-wing group associated with antifa, Smash Racism D.C., following a protest by 12-20 people outside the home of '']'' founder ], who they accused of being a racist and white supremacist.<ref>{{cite news |last=Khalil |first=Ashraf |date=November 9, 2018 |url=https://apnews.com/5aa41068747f4e41b39947f761462f96 |title=Protesters target home of Fox News' Tucker Carlson |work=] |access-date=June 9, 2020 |archive-date=June 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611074020/https://apnews.com/5aa41068747f4e41b39947f761462f96 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/416184-fox-news-twitter-account-dark-for-days-due-to-tucker-carlson-home-threats/ |title=Fox News Twitter account dark for days due to Tucker Carlson home threats |last=Balluck |first=Kyle |date=November 12, 2018 |newspaper=] |access-date=November 13, 2018 |archive-date=November 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113075901/https://thehill.com/homenews/media/416184-fox-news-twitter-account-dark-for-days-due-to-tucker-carlson-home-threats |url-status=live}}</ref> Activists of the group defaced the driveway of Carlson's property by spray-painting an ] on it.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/all/antifa-group-chants-outside-vandalizes-fox-commentator-tucker-carlson-s-n934131 |title=Antifa group chants outside Fox commentator Tucker Carlson's home |work=] |access-date=November 13, 2018 |archive-date=November 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126153143/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/all/antifa-group-chants-outside-vandalizes-fox-commentator-tucker-carlson-s-n934131 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Stelter |first=Brian |title=Police called after left-wing activists descend on Fox host Tucker Carlson's home |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/08/media/tucker-carlson-protestors/index.html |agency=] |access-date=November 9, 2018 |date=November 8, 2018 |archive-date=November 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108232211/https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/08/media/tucker-carlson-protestors/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=May |first=Ashley |title=Antifa protesters chant outside Fox's Tucker Carlson's home, break door |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/11/08/mob-tucker-carlsons-home-antifa-break-door-chant-fox-host/1927868002/ |newspaper=] |access-date=November 9, 2018 |date=November 8, 2018 |archive-date=November 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108221601/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/11/08/mob-tucker-carlsons-home-antifa-break-door-chant-fox-host/1927868002/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Chiu |first1=Allyson |title='They were threatening me and my family': Tucker Carlson's home targeted by protesters |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/11/08/they-were-threatening-me-my-family-tucker-carlsons-home-targeted-by-protesters |newspaper=] |access-date=November 11, 2018 |date=November 8, 2018 |archive-date=November 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111012243/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/11/08/they-were-threatening-me-my-family-tucker-carlsons-home-targeted-by-protesters/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |access-date=November 12, 2018 |title=Protesters target home of Fox News' Tucker Carlson |url=https://www.apnews.com/5aa41068747f4e41b39947f761462f96 |work=] |date=November 9, 2018 |archive-date=November 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113030032/https://www.apnews.com/5aa41068747f4e41b39947f761462f96 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.aol.com/article/news/2018/11/08/you-are-not-safe-protestors-sieged-fox-news-host-tucker-carlsons-dc-home-in-the-middle-of-the-night/23583635/ |title='You are not safe': Protestors sieged Fox News host Tucker Carlson's DC home in the middle of the night |date=November 8, 2018 |access-date=November 11, 2018 |agency=] |first=Bill |last=Bostock |archive-date=November 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110180455/https://www.aol.com/article/news/2018/11/08/you-are-not-safe-protestors-sieged-fox-news-host-tucker-carlsons-dc-home-in-the-middle-of-the-night/23583635/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://thinkprogress.org/i-was-at-the-protest-outside-tucker-carlsons-house-heres-what-actually-happened-665c2dc0cb67/ |title=I was at the protest outside Tucker Carlson's house. Here's what actually happened. |date=November 9, 2018 |access-date=November 15, 2018 |website=] |first=Alan |last=Pyke |archive-date=November 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115193526/https://thinkprogress.org/i-was-at-the-protest-outside-tucker-carlsons-house-heres-what-actually-happened-665c2dc0cb67/ |url-status=live}}</ref>


=== 2018–2019 === == Public reactions ==
=== Academics, scholars and activists ===
In June 2018, a Nebraska antifa group published a list of names and photographs of 1,595 ] (ICE) officials, drawn from ] profiles.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/antifa-ice-employees-list-immigration-nebraska-github-medium-linkedin-sam-lavigne-a8412496.html|title=Antifa group shares link to list of 1,600 ICE employees alongside photos, locations, and job titles|date=June 22, 2018|accessdate=July 4, 2018|work=The Independent|first=Clark|last=Mindock}}</ref>
Historian ], who has studied the antifa movement, stated that "iven the historical and current threat that white supremacist and fascist groups pose, it's clear to me that organized, collective self-defense is not only a legitimate response, but lamentably an all-too-necessary response to this threat on too many occasions."<ref name="Bray & Sycamore 2017">{{cite news |last1=Bray |first1=Mark |last2=Sycamore |first2=Mattilda Bernstein |date=December 11, 2017 |url=https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/anti-fascism-beyond-the-headlines-mattilda-bernstein-sycamore-interviews-mark-bray/ |title=Anti-Fascism Beyond the Headlines: Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore Interviews Mark Bray |newspaper=] |access-date=July 22, 2020 |archive-date=August 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818214822/https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/anti-fascism-beyond-the-headlines-mattilda-bernstein-sycamore-interviews-mark-bray/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Alexander Reid Ross, a lecturer in geography and an author on the contemporary right, has argued that antifa groups represented "one of the best models for channeling the popular reflexes and spontaneous movements towards confronting fascism in organized and focused ways."<ref name="Ross">{{cite web |first1=Alexander Reid |last1=Ross |date=January 23, 2017 |title=Responding to the Fascist Creep: An Interview With Alexander Reid Ross – It's Going Down |url=https://itsgoingdown.org/responding-fascist-creep-interview-alexander-reid-ross |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818163442/https://itsgoingdown.org/responding-fascist-creep-interview-alexander-reid-ross/ |archive-date=August 18, 2018 |access-date=July 22, 2020 |website=It's Going Down}}</ref>


Historian and '']'' magazine editor ] wrote that "on-leftists often see the left as a disruptive, lawless force. Violence tends to confirm that view."<ref name="VoxCase"/> Historian ] was "worried that antifa's methods could feed into what she said were false equivalencies that seek to lump violence on the left with attacks by the right." Ben-Ghiat argued that "hrowing a milkshake]] is not equivalent to killing someone, but because the people in power are allied with the right, any provocation, any dissent against right-wing violence, backfires", with the effect that "ilitancy on the left" can "become a justification for those in power and allies on the right to crack down" on the left.<ref name=bogelburroughs/>
In November 2018, police investigated the antifa group Smash Racism D.C. following a protest outside the home of '']'' founder ],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/416184-fox-news-twitter-account-dark-for-days-due-to-tucker-carlson-home-threats|title=Fox News Twitter account dark for days due to Tucker Carlson home threats|last=Balluck|first=Kyle|date=November 12, 2018|work=The Hill|accessdate=November 13, 2018}}</ref> who has been described by the ] as "a major supporter of President Donald Trump and his policies".<ref>{{cite news|last=Khalil|first=Ashraf|date=November 9, 2018|url=https://apnews.com/5aa41068747f4e41b39947f761462f96|title=Protesters target home of Fox News' Tucker Carlson|agency=Associated Press|accessdate=June 9, 2020}}</ref> Activists of the group said through a bullhorn that Carlson was promoting hate<ref>{{cite news|last=Stelter|first=Brian|date=November 17, 2018|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/16/media/tucker-carlson-cracked-door/index.html|title=Tucker Carlson claimed his door was 'cracked' by Antifa protesters. The police saw no sign of that.|agency=CNN|accessdate=June 9, 2020|quote=The group defended its decision to show up at Carlson's home. They believe Carlson supports and promotes a white nationalist agenda on Fox News, a charge Carlson denies.}}</ref> and chanted "We will fight, we know where you sleep at night!" and defaced the driveway of Carlson's property by spray-painting an ] on it.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/all/antifa-group-chants-outside-vandalizes-fox-commentator-tucker-carlson-s-n934131|title=Antifa group chants outside Fox commentator Tucker Carlson's home|work=NBC News|accessdate=November 13, 2018}}</ref> Twitter suspended the group's account for violation of Twitter rules by posting Carlson's home address. The group also posted addresses of Carlson's brother and a friend who co-founded ''The Daily Caller''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stelter|first=Brian|title=Police called after left-wing activists descend on Fox host Tucker Carlson's home|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/08/media/tucker-carlson-protestors/index.html|agency=CNN|accessdate=November 9, 2018|date=November 8, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=May|first=Ashley|title=Antifa protesters chant outside Fox's Tucker Carlson's home, break door|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/11/08/mob-tucker-carlsons-home-antifa-break-door-chant-fox-host/1927868002/|work=USA Today|accessdate=November 9, 2018|date=November 8, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Chiu|first1=Allyson|title='They were threatening me and my family': Tucker Carlson's home targeted by protesters|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/11/08/they-were-threatening-me-my-family-tucker-carlsons-home-targeted-by-protesters|newspaper=The Washington Post|accessdate=November 11, 2018|date=November 8, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-11-12|title=Protesters target home of Fox News' Tucker Carlson|url=https://www.apnews.com/5aa41068747f4e41b39947f761462f96|agency=AP News|date=November 9, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aol.com/article/news/2018/11/08/you-are-not-safe-protestors-sieged-fox-news-host-tucker-carlsons-dc-home-in-the-middle-of-the-night/23583635/|title='You are not safe': Protestors sieged Fox News host Tucker Carlson's DC home in the middle of the night|date=November 8, 2018|accessdate=November 11, 2018|agency=AOL|first=Bill|last=Bostock}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thinkprogress.org/i-was-at-the-protest-outside-tucker-carlsons-house-heres-what-actually-happened-665c2dc0cb67/|title=I was at the protest outside Tucker Carlson's house. Here's what actually happened.|date=November 9, 2018|accessdate=November 15, 2018|website=]|first=Alan|last=Pyke}}</ref>


], a professor of journalism and political science, wrote that "ntifa believes it is pursuing the opposite of authoritarianism. Many of its activists oppose the very notion of a centralized state. But in the name of protecting the vulnerable, antifascists have granted themselves the authority to decide which Americans may publicly assemble and which may not. That authority rests on no democratic foundation. The people preventing Republicans from safely assembling on the streets of Portland may consider themselves fierce opponents of the authoritarianism growing on the American right. In truth, however, they are its unlikeliest allies."<ref name="Beinart 2017"/>
In February 2019, anti-fascist activists marched in celebration through ] as a white supremacist, ] rally planned to be held at the adjacent ] was cancelled due to infighting and fear of personal safety. White supremacist groups originally sought to attract attention by marching at the Stone Mountain, a Confederate landmark carving, during ] weekend. The groups ignored the park's denial of permit due to "clear and present danger to the public health or safety", but this was thwarted when Facebook and Twitter terminated their organizing accounts and pages, and by one group leader's retreat due to "fears of violence from counter-protesters". In their absence, more than 100 antifa activists marched peacefully through the adjacent village, burned a ] effigy and chanted slogans such as "Good night, alt-right" and "Death to the Klan", before joining another civil rights rally at ] held by the ] and the ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/new-details-protesters-march-stone-mountain-village-after-park-closed/yufm3z5iHH9wMxvWKwFhBJ/|title=Protesters march on Stone Mountain Village after park is closed|last=Kass|first=Arielle|work=]|date=February 2, 2019|accessdate=February 3, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/pro-white-rally-stone-mountain-collapses-amid-internal-strife/gvReqHeqcXNqFytV9xm1jK/|title='Pro-white' rally at Stone Mountain collapses amid internal strife|last=Joyner|first=Chris|website=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=February 2, 2019|accessdate=February 3, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/stone-mountain/counter-protesters-march-through-streets-of-stone-mountain-after-park-remains-closed/85-b029a064-e93e-4b2e-9568-38d46d8db46e|title=Counter-protesters march through streets of Stone Mountain after park remains closed|website=WXIA|date=February 2, 2019|accessdate=February 3, 2019}}</ref>

Anti-racist public intellectual ], who attended a counter-protest to the ], said in an interview that "we would have been crushed like cockroaches if it were not for the anarchists and the anti-fascists", describing a situation where a group of 20 counter-protesters were surrounded by marchers whom he described as "neofascists".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Blackmon |first1=Traci |last2=Goodman |first2=Amy |last3=West |first3=Cornel |date=August 14, 2017 |url=https://www.democracynow.org/2017/8/14/cornel_west_rev_toni_blackmon_clergy |title=Cornel West & Rev. Traci Blackmon: Clergy in Charlottesville Were Trapped by Torch-Wielding Nazis |work=] |agency=] |access-date=July 22, 2020 |archive-date=August 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817010619/https://www.democracynow.org/2017/8/14/cornel_west_rev_toni_blackmon_clergy |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Wilson 2017">{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Jason |title=I was in Charlottesville. Trump was wrong about violence on the left |work=] |date=August 16, 2017 |url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/16/charlottesville-violence-right-left-trump |access-date=February 15, 2021 |archive-date=March 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302172821/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/16/charlottesville-violence-right-left-trump |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="The Blue Review 2018">{{cite web |author=The Blue Review |title=Rethinking Antifa |website=] |date=March 12, 2018 |url=https://www.boisestate.edu/bluereview/rethinking-antifa/ |access-date=February 15, 2021 |archive-date=January 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115191907/https://www.boisestate.edu/bluereview/rethinking-antifa/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Veteran radical activist ] described antifa as "a major gift to the right", arguing that "the movement was self-destructive and constituted a tiny faction on the periphery of the left."<ref name="Noam Chomsky"/> Eleanor Penny, an author on fascism and the far-right, argued against Chomsky that "physical resistance has time and again protected local populations from racist violence, and prevented a gathering caucus of fascists from making further inroads into mainstream politics".<ref name="Noam Chomsky"/> Natasha Lennard has argued against Chomsky and others, citing ]'s suspension of his college tour in March 2018, as "a sharp rebuttal to the glut of claims that antifa practices serve as a gift to the far right."<ref name="Lennard 2020">{{cite news |last=Lennard |first=Natasha |date=March 17, 2018 |url=https://theintercept.com/2018/03/17/richard-spencer-college-tour-antifa-alt-right/ |title='Alt-Right' Icon Richard Spencer Made the Case for Antifa |newspaper=] |access-date=October 23, 2020 |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107174705/https://theintercept.com/2018/03/17/richard-spencer-college-tour-antifa-alt-right/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Holland 2018">{{cite news |last=Holland |first=Joshua |date=March 21, 2018 |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/antifa-has-richard-spencer-on-the-run-does-that-vindicate-its-tactics/ |title=Antifa Has Richard Spencer on the Run. Does That Vindicate Its Tactics? |newspaper=] |access-date=October 24, 2020 |archive-date=October 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026160009/https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/antifa-has-richard-spencer-on-the-run-does-that-vindicate-its-tactics/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Civil rights organizations ===
In 2020, the ADL said that while there have been hundreds of murders by far-right groups in the last few decades, there has only been ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.adl.org/antifa |title=Who are Antifa? |publisher=] |date=2020 |access-date=October 22, 2020 |quote=Right-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. To date, there has been one suspected antifa-related murder, which took place on August 29, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. |archive-date=October 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022031944/https://www.adl.org/antifa |url-status=live}}</ref>

According to the ] (SPLC), designating antifa as a domestic terrorist organization is dangerous and a threat to civil liberties.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 2, 2020 |title=Designating Antifa as Domestic Terrorist Organization Is Dangerous, Threatens Civil Liberties |url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/06/02/designating-antifa-domestic-terrorist-organization-dangerous-threatens-civil-liberties |access-date=September 8, 2020 |publisher=] |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904123201/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/06/02/designating-antifa-domestic-terrorist-organization-dangerous-threatens-civil-liberties |url-status=live}}</ref> The SPLC also reported that antifa members "have been involved in skirmishes and property crimes, 'but the threat of lethal violence pales in comparison to that posed by far-right extremists.'"<ref name="Stelloh 2020"/>


== Public reactions ==
=== Law enforcement and officials === === Law enforcement and officials ===
In June 2017, the antifa movement was linked to "anarchist extremism" by the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.njhomelandsecurity.gov/analysis/anarchist-extremists-antifa|title=Anarchist Extremists: Antifa|publisher=New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness|date=June 12, 2017|accessdate=August 27, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827161542/https://www.njhomelandsecurity.gov/analysis/anarchist-extremists-antifa|archivedate=August 27, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> This assessment was replaced with one in 2019 which states that "Antifa is a movement that focuses on issues involving racism, sexism, and anti-Semitism, as well as other perceived injustices. The majority of Antifa members do not promote or endorse violence; however, the movement consists of anarchist extremists and other individuals who seek to carry out acts of violence in order to forward their respective agendas".<ref name="New Jersey 2019">{{cite web|title=2019 Terrorism Threat Assessment|url=https://www.njhomelandsecurity.gov/analysis/2019-terrorism-threat-assessment|website=New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness|date=January 2019|accessdate=July 18, 2019}}</ref> In June 2017, the antifa movement was linked to "anarchist extremism" by the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.njhomelandsecurity.gov/analysis/anarchist-extremists-antifa |title=Anarchist Extremists: Antifa |publisher=New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness |date=June 12, 2017 |access-date=August 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827161542/https://www.njhomelandsecurity.gov/analysis/anarchist-extremists-antifa |archive-date=August 27, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> This assessment was replaced with one in 2019 which states that "Antifa is a movement that focuses on issues involving racism, sexism, and anti-Semitism, as well as other perceived injustices. The majority of Antifa members do not promote or endorse violence; however, the movement consists of anarchist extremists and other individuals who seek to carry out acts of violence in order to forward their respective agendas."<ref name="New Jersey 2019">{{cite web |title=2019 Terrorism Threat Assessment |url=https://www.njhomelandsecurity.gov/analysis/2019-terrorism-threat-assessment |publisher=New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness |date=January 2019 |access-date=July 18, 2019 |archive-date=October 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011174341/https://www.njhomelandsecurity.gov/analysis/2019-terrorism-threat-assessment |url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2017, '']'' obtained confidential documents and interviews indicating that the ] (DHS) and the ] (FBI) believed that "anarchist extremists" were the primary instigators of violence at public rallies against a range of targets in April 2016.<ref name=dhs_ter/>

In July 2020, ] ], who had stated in a press release<ref>{{cite press release |last=Wray |first=Christopher A. |date=June 4, 2020 |url=https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-director-christopher-wrays-remarks-at-press-conference-regarding-civil-unrest-in-wake-of-george-floyds-death |title=FBI Director Christopher Wray's Remarks at Press Conference Regarding Civil Unrest in Wake of George Floyd's Death |publisher=] |access-date=June 8, 2020 |archive-date=June 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624004939/https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-director-christopher-wrays-remarks-at-press-conference-regarding-civil-unrest-in-wake-of-george-floyds-death|url-status=live}}</ref> on June 4 that "anarchists like Antifa" are "exploiting this situation to pursue violent, extremist agendas",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/wray-claims-fbi-sees-anarchists-like-antifa-exploiting-george-floyd-protests/2020/06/04/ff774b64-cef9-4ecc-9862-a5fce4138a5e_video.html |title=Wray claims FBI sees 'anarchists like Antifa' exploiting George Floyd protests |newspaper=] |date=June 4, 2020 |access-date=September 7, 2020 |archive-date=July 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713060404/https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/wray-claims-fbi-sees-anarchists-like-antifa-exploiting-george-floyd-protests/2020/06/04/ff774b64-cef9-4ecc-9862-a5fce4138a5e_video.html |url-status=live}}</ref> testified to the ] that the agency "considers antifa more of an ideology than an organization"<ref name="nytimes_antifa">{{cite news |last1=Feuer |first1=Alan |last2=Goldman |first2=Adam |last3=MacFarquhar |first3=Neil |date=June 11, 2020 |title=Federal Arrests Show No Sign That Antifa Plotted Protests |newspaper=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/11/us/antifa-protests-george-floyd.html |url-status=live |access-date=June 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613012003/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/11/us/antifa-protests-george-floyd.html |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |quote=Despite claims by President Trump and Attorney General William P. Barr, there is scant evidence that loosely organized anti-fascists are a significant player in protests. A review of the arrests of dozens of people on federal charges reveals no known effort by antifa to perpetrate a coordinated campaign of violence. Some criminal complaints described vague, anti-government political leanings among suspects, but a majority of the violent acts that have taken place at protests have been attributed by federal prosecutors to individuals with no affiliation to any particular group.}}</ref> which was later reiterated the same year in a September 17 remark to lawmakers.<ref name="Fox & Tucker 2020"/> This contradicted President Trump's remarks about antifa and put Wray at odds with the Trump administration.<ref name="Fox & Tucker 2020">{{cite news |last1=Fox |first1=Ben |last2=Tucker |first2=Eric |date=September 17, 2020 |url=https://apnews.com/bdd3b6078e9efadcfcd0be4b65f2362e |title=FBI director says antifa is an ideology, not an organization |work=] |access-date=September 17, 2020 |archive-date=September 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200917210619/https://apnews.com/bdd3b6078e9efadcfcd0be4b65f2362e |url-status=live}}</ref> According to the ], Wray "did not dispute that antifa activists were a serious concern", stating that antifa was a "real thing" and that the FBI had undertaken "any number of properly predicated investigations into what we would describe as violent anarchist extremists", including into individuals who identify with antifa, whom the FBI identified as "a movement or an ideology" rather than as "a group or an organization".<ref name="Fox & Tucker 2020"/> Wray stated that "racially motivated violent extremists, such as white supremacists, have been responsible for the most lethal attacks in the U.S. in recent years", although "this year the most lethal violence has come from anti-government activists, such as anarchists and militia-types."<ref name="Fox & Tucker 2020"/>

Three August 2020 DHS draft reports did not mention antifa as a domestic terrorism risk and ranked white supremacy as the top risk, higher than that of foreign terrorist groups.<ref name="Swan 2020">{{cite news |last=Swan |first=Betsy Woodruff |author-link=Betsy Woodruff Swan |date=September 4, 2020 |title=DHS draft document: White supremacists are greatest terror threat |newspaper=] |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/04/white-supremacists-terror-threat-dhs-409236 |access-date=September 5, 2020 |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904223039/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/04/white-supremacists-terror-threat-dhs-409236 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Members of Congress ===
On August 29, 2017, ], then ] for the ], condemned the violence of antifa activists in Berkeley.<ref name="Pelosi Statement Condemning Antifa Violence in Berkeley"/>

In July 2019, ] Senators ] and ] introduced a ] that would designate antifa a domestic terrorist organization.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lati |first=Marisa |title=Antifa resolution: Cruz, Cassidy call anti-fascists 'domestic terrorists' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/20/senators-want-antifa-activists-be-labeled-domestic-terrorists-heres-what-that-means/ |newspaper=] |date=July 20, 2019 |access-date=June 4, 2020 |archive-date=July 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190722221504/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/20/senators-want-antifa-activists-be-labeled-domestic-terrorists-heres-what-that-means/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In June 2020, Republican Senator ] advocated using military force to quell nationwide ], calling for the ] to be deployed to combat what he called "Antifa terrorists".<ref name="Relman 2020">{{cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/gops-tom-cotton-calls-for-military-force-against-anarchist-protesters-2020-6 |title=GOP Sen. Tom Cotton calls for the US Army's toughest soldiers to quell 'domestic terrorism' and suggests protesters should be shown no mercy |newspaper=] |date=June 1, 2020 |access-date=June 2, 2020 |last=Relman |first=Eliza |archive-date=November 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130082206/https://www.businessinsider.com/gops-tom-cotton-calls-for-military-force-against-anarchist-protesters-2020-6 |url-status=live}}</ref> Cruz accused "Antifa protesters" of "organizing these acts of terror"<ref name="Wallace 2020">{{cite web |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/Ted-Cruz-says-Antifa-protesters-are-behaving-15311996.php |title=Ted Cruz says Antifa protesters are 'behaving like bigots' |work=] |date=June 2, 2020 |access-date=June 7, 2020 |last=Wallace |first=Jeremy |archive-date=June 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607222044/https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/Ted-Cruz-says-Antifa-protesters-are-behaving-15311996.php |url-status=live}}</ref> and called for "systematic law enforcement targeting Antifa and other terrorist groups".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/ted-cruz-rioting-terrorist-assault-america |title=Ted Cruz: Rioting cannot be tolerated, this is 'terrorist assault' on America |agency=] |date=June 2, 2020 |access-date=June 7, 2020 |last=Kaplan |first=Talia |archive-date=June 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607222048/https://www.foxnews.com/media/ted-cruz-rioting-terrorist-assault-america |url-status=live}}</ref>


In September 2020, ] ] also condemned antifa violent actions, having already condemned violence across the political spectrum and expressed his support for peaceful protests.<ref name="Fact check: Joe Biden has condemned Antifa">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-biden-condemned-antifa-idUSKBN2712ZA |title=Fact check: Joe Biden has condemned Antifa, violent protests |work=] |date=October 16, 2020 |access-date=October 23, 2020 |archive-date=October 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021174846/https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-biden-condemned-antifa-idUSKBN2712ZA |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Bray September 2020"/><ref>{{cite web |access-date=May 18, 2021 |title=Has Biden Failed to Condemn Antifa? |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/biden-fail-condemn-antifa/ |website=] |date=October 2020 |archive-date=December 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216012614/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/biden-fail-condemn-antifa/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
In September 2017, '']'' obtained confidential documents and interviews indicating that in April 2016 the ] (DHS) and the ] (FBI) believed that "anarchist extremists" were the primary instigators of violence at public rallies against a range of targets.<ref name=dhs_ter/>


=== Trump administration === === Trump administration ===
In August 2017, a petition was lodged with the White House petitioning system ] calling upon President ] to formally classify "AntiFa" as terrorist. The White House responded in 2018 that federal law does not have a mechanism for formally designating domestic terrorist organizations.<ref>{{cite news|title=White House refuses to address petition calling on Trump to release tax returns|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/26/white-house-ducks-petition-calling-on-trump-to-release-tax-returns|accessdate=December 15, 2018|work=The Guardian|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Guardian Media Group|date=February 26, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Robertson|first=Adi|title=The White House is answering online petitions again, but does it still matter?|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/20/17143536/white-house-we-the-people-online-petition-answers-back|accessdate=April 1, 2019|website=The Verge|date=March 20, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Miller|first=Zeke|title=White House answers online petitions, ducks tax-return issue|url=https://www.apnews.com/3a61b1b01b97457589ad86fd5654ea27|accessdate=April 1, 2019|agency=Associated Press|date=February 28, 2018}}</ref> The writer of the petition later stated he had created it to "bring our broken right side together" and to "prop up antifa as a punching bag".<ref name="politico.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/24/antifa-white-house-petition-trump-troll-241990|title=White House 'antifa' petition written by pro-Trump troll|newspaper=Politico|date=August 24, 2017|accessdate=July 3, 2019}}</ref> In August 2017, a petition was lodged with the White House petitioning system ] calling upon President ] to formally classify "AntiFa" as terrorist. The White House responded in 2018 that federal law does not have a mechanism for formally designating domestic terrorist organizations.<ref>{{cite news |title=White House refuses to address petition calling on Trump to release tax returns |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/26/white-house-ducks-petition-calling-on-trump-to-release-tax-returns |access-date=December 15, 2018 |agency=] |newspaper=] |date=February 26, 2018 |archive-date=December 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215223904/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/26/white-house-ducks-petition-calling-on-trump-to-release-tax-returns|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=March 20, 2018 |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/20/17143536/white-house-we-the-people-online-petition-answers-back |title=The White House is answering online petitions again, but does it still matter? |website=] |agency=] |access-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401215210/https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/20/17143536/white-house-we-the-people-online-petition-answers-back |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Zeke |title=White House answers online petitions, ducks tax-return issue |url=https://www.apnews.com/3a61b1b01b97457589ad86fd5654ea27 |access-date=April 1, 2019 |work=] |date=February 28, 2018 |archive-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401215132/https://www.apnews.com/3a61b1b01b97457589ad86fd5654ea27 |url-status=live}}</ref> The writer of the petition later stated he had created it to "bring our broken right side together" and to "prop up antifa as a punching bag".<ref name="politico.com">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/24/antifa-white-house-petition-trump-troll-241990 |title=White House 'antifa' petition written by pro-Trump troll |newspaper=] |date=August 24, 2017 |access-date=July 3, 2019 |archive-date=July 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703225659/https://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/24/antifa-white-house-petition-trump-troll-241990 |url-status=live}}</ref>


In 2017, ''Politico'' interviewed unidentified law enforcement officials who noted a rise in activity since the beginning of the Trump administration, particularly a rise in recruitment (and on the part of the far-right as well) since the Charlottesville ]. One internal assessment acknowledged an inability to penetrate the groups' "diffuse and decentralized organizational structure". By 2017, the FBI and the DHS reported that they were monitoring suspicious antifa activity in relation to terrorism.<ref name=dhs_ter/> In 2017, '']'' interviewed unidentified law enforcement officials who noted a rise in activity since the beginning of the Trump administration, particularly a rise in recruitment and on the part of the far right as well since the Charlottesville ]. One internal assessment acknowledged an inability to penetrate the groups' "diffuse and decentralized organizational structure". By 2017, the FBI and the DHS reported that they were monitoring suspicious antifa activity in relation to terrorism.<ref name=dhs_ter/>


During the ] following the ] in May and June 2020, ] ] blamed the violence on "anarchic and far left extremist groups using Antifa-like tactics"<ref name="Barr blames">{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/attorney-general-barr-blames-far-left-extremist-groups-violent-protests-n1219696 |title=Attorney General Barr blames 'far-left extremist groups' for violent protests |agency=] |date=May 30, 2020 |access-date=May 30, 2020 |last=McCausland |first=Phil |archive-date=November 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110025958/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/attorney-general-barr-blames-far-left-extremist-groups-violent-protests-n1219696 |url-status=live}}</ref> and described the actions of "Antifa and other similar groups" as "domestic terrorism",<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-william-p-barrs-statement-riots-and-domestic-terrorism |title=Attorney General William P. Barr's Statement on Riots and Domestic Terrorism |publisher=] |date=May 31, 2020 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=December 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231234012/https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-william-p-barrs-statement-riots-and-domestic-terrorism |url-status=live}}</ref> echoing similar statements by ] ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-says-he-will-designate-antifa-terrorist-organization-gop-points-n1220321 |title=Trump says he will designate antifa a terrorist organization as GOP points fingers at extremists |agency=] |date=May 31, 2020 |access-date=May 31, 2020 |last=Smith |first=Allan |archive-date=December 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229232423/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-says-he-will-designate-antifa-terrorist-organization-gop-points-n1220321 |url-status=live}}</ref> In ] and other statements, Trump blamed "ANTIFA and the Radical Left" for violence<ref name="Barr blames"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/500576-trump-mobilizes-military-in-dc-to-quell-protests-as-tear-gas-fired/ |title=Trump mobilizes military in DC to quell protests as tear gas fired into crowds |newspaper=] |date=June 1, 2020 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |last1=Samuels |first1=Brett |last2=Chalfant |first2=Morgan |archive-date=February 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215212731/https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/500576-trump-mobilizes-military-in-dc-to-quell-protests-as-tear-gas-fired |url-status=live}}</ref> and repeatedly pledged that the federal government would designate antifa as a "Terrorist Organization".<ref>{{cite news |last=Beauchamp |first=Zack |title=Antifa, explained |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/6/8/21277320/antifa-anti-fascist-explained |date=June 8, 2020 |website=] |quote=Take, for example, Trump's repeated vows to label antifa a terrorist organization. |access-date=June 12, 2020 |archive-date=June 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611144231/https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/6/8/21277320/antifa-anti-fascist-explained |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52868295 |title=Antifa: Trump says group will be designated 'terrorist organisation' |agency=] |date=May 31, 2020 |access-date=May 31, 2020 |archive-date=December 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208082202/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52868295 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/05/31/866369727/trump-lays-blame-for-clashes-on-radical-left-anarchists |title=Trump Lays Blame For Clashes On 'Radical-Left Anarchists' |agency=] |date=May 31, 2020 |access-date=May 31, 2020 |archive-date=November 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129222129/https://www.npr.org/2020/05/31/866369727/trump-lays-blame-for-clashes-on-radical-left-anarchists |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-says-he-will-designate-antifa-terrorist-organization-gop-points-n1220321 |title=Trump says he will designate antifa a terrorist organization as GOP points fingers at extremists |agency=] |date=May 31, 2020 |access-date=May 31, 2020 |archive-date=December 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229232423/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-says-he-will-designate-antifa-terrorist-organization-gop-points-n1220321 |url-status=live}}</ref> However, Trump lacks the authority to do so because under existing law the federal government may designate only ] and antifa is a loosely associated movement rather than a specific organization.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |last2=Savage |first2=Charlie |date=May 31, 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/politics/trump-antifa-terrorist-group.html |title=Trump, Lacking Clear Authority, Says U.S. Will Declare Antifa a Terrorist Group |newspaper=] |access-date=June 13, 2020 |quote=First, antifa is not an organization. It does not have a leader, membership roles or any defined, centralized structure. Rather, it is a vaguely defined movement of people who share common protest tactics and targets. More important, even if antifa were a real organization, the laws that permit the federal government to deem entities terrorists and impose sanctions on them are limited to foreign groups. There is no domestic terrorism law, despite periodic proposals to create one. |archive-date=June 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200602174233/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/politics/trump-antifa-terrorist-group.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Beauchamp |first=Zack |date=June 8, 2020 |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/6/8/21277320/antifa-anti-fascist-explained |title=Antifa, explained |website=] |access-date=June 13, 2020 |quote=Take, for example, Trump's repeated vows to label antifa a terrorist organization. He cannot do this legally: The federal government maintains a list of foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) . There is no such thing as a domestic terrorism designation, and it would require an act by Congress to create one. The president's proposal is, legally speaking, impossible. |archive-date=June 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611144231/https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/6/8/21277320/antifa-anti-fascist-explained |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Alemany |first1=Jacqueline |last2=Klemko |first2=Robert |last3=Zapotosky |first3=Matt |date=May 31, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-antifa-minneapolis-protests/2020/05/31/4f66c7a6-a36a-11ea-b473-04905b1af82b_story.html |title=In Trump's campaign against antifa, observers see an attempt to distract from protesters' genuine outrage |newspaper=] |access-date=June 13, 2020 |quote=Trump cannot, for practical and legal reasons, formally designate antifa a terrorist organization . Although Trump vowed Sunday to designate antifa a terrorist organization, legal observers say it is impossible for him to do so with any domestic group. |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613073403/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-antifa-minneapolis-protests/2020/05/31/4f66c7a6-a36a-11ea-b473-04905b1af82b_story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Legal experts, among others, believe that designating antifa as a terrorist group would be unconstitutional, raising ] and ] issues.<ref name="HabermanSavage">{{cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |last2=Savage |first2=Charlie |date=May 31, 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/politics/trump-antifa-terrorist-group.html |title=Trump, Lacking Clear Authority, Says U.S. Will Declare Antifa a Terrorist Group |newspaper=] |access-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-date=June 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200602174233/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/politics/trump-antifa-terrorist-group.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Perez>{{cite web |last1=Perez |first1=Evan |last2=Hoffman |first2=Jason |date=May 31, 2020 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/31/politics/trump-antifa-protests/index.html |title=Trump tweets Antifa will be labeled a terrorist organization but experts believe that's unconstitutional |website=] |agency=CNN |access-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-date=June 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200602232720/https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/31/politics/trump-antifa-protests/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref> According to historian Mark Bray, antifa cannot be designated as a terrorist organization because "he groups are loosely organized, and they aren't large enough to cause everything Trump blames them for." In addition, Bray argued that the political right has attempted to "blame everything on antifa" during the George Floyd protests and that in assuming antifa to be "predominantly white", it "evince a kind of racism that assumes that black people couldn't organize on this deep and wide of a scale."<ref name="Bray 2020"/>
During the Trump administration, the term ''antifa'' became "a conservative catch-all" term as Trump, administration officials, Trump ] and right-wing commentators applied the label to all sorts of left-leaning or liberal protest actions.<ref name=Nguyen>{{cite news|last=Nguyen|first=Tina|date=June 2, 2020|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/02/how-antifa-became-a-trump-catch-all-297921|title=How 'antifa' became a Trump catch-all|newspaper=Politico|accessdate=June 11, 2020}}</ref> Conservative writers such as ] labeled ] as "antifa".<ref name=Nguyen/> '']'' reported that "the term is a potent one for conservatives" because "t's the violent distillation of everything they fear could come to pass in an all-out culture war. And it's a quick way to brand part of the opposition".<ref name=Nguyen/> Alexander Reid Ross, who teaches at ], argued that the popularization of the term ''antifa'' was a reaction to the popularization of the term '']'', "to the point where simply describes people who are anti-fascist or people who are against racism and are willing to protest against it".<ref name=Nguyen/>


On June 2, 2020, '']'' reported on a copy of an FBI ] internal situation report it had obtained which stated that the FBI had "no intelligence indicating Antifa involvement/presence" in the violent May 31 D.C.-area protests.<ref name=Klippenstein>{{cite news |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/antifa-trump-fbi/ |title=The FBI Finds 'No Intel Indicating Antifa Involvement' in Sunday's Violence |newspaper=] |date=June 2, 2020 |last=Klippenstein |first=Ken |author-link=Ken Klippenstein |access-date=June 11, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200603001905/https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/antifa-trump-fbi/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Two days later, Barr claimed that "e have evidence that antifa and other similar extremist groups, as well as actors of a variety of different political persuasions have been involved in instigating and participating in the violent activity."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ag-barr-evidence-antifa-foreign-actors-involved-sowing/story?id=71066996 |title=Evidence that antifa, 'foreign actors' involved in sowing unrest and violence: AG Barr |date=June 4, 2020 |access-date=June 4, 2020 |agency=] |first=Alexander |last=Mallin |website=] |archive-date=June 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604180049/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ag-barr-evidence-antifa-foreign-actors-involved-sowing/story?id=71066996 |url-status=live}}</ref> However, the Trump administration has provided no evidence for its claims<ref name=KellySamuels/> and there is no evidence that antifa-aligned individuals played a role in instigating the protests or violence, or that antifa played a significant role in the protests.<ref name="nytimes_antifa"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.voanews.com/usa/nation-turmoil-george-floyd-protests/trump-blames-antifa-protest-records-show-scant-evidence |title=As Trump Blames Antifa, Protest Records Show Scant Evidence |agency=] |date=June 6, 2020 |access-date=June 9, 2020 |via=] |quote=Associated Press analyzed court records, employment histories, social media posts and other sources of information for 217 people arrested last weekend only a handful appeared to have any affiliation with organized groups. Social media posts indicate only a few of those arrested are left-leaning activists, including a self-described anarchist. But others had indications of being on the political right, including some Trump supporters. |archive-date=June 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609194347/https://www.voanews.com/usa/nation-turmoil-george-floyd-protests/trump-blames-antifa-protest-records-show-scant-evidence |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=KellySamuels>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Meg |last2=Samuels |first2=Elyse |date=June 22, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/22/who-caused-violence-protests-its-not-antifa/ |title=Who caused the violence at protests? It wasn't antifa. |newspaper=] |access-date=June 22, 2020 |archive-date=June 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622113340/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/22/who-caused-violence-protests-its-not-antifa/ |url-status=live}}</ref> According to Bray, while "confident that some members of antifa groups have participated in a variety of forms of resistance" during the protests, it is "impossible to ascertain the exact number of people who belong to antifa groups."<ref name="Bray 2020"/><ref>{{cite web |first1=Angelo |last1=Fichera |access-date=May 18, 2021 |title=Viral Tweet 'Alert' Wasn't From Antifa |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/06/viral-tweet-alert-wasnt-from-antifa/ |date=June 2, 2020 |archive-date=May 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506125556/https://www.factcheck.org/2020/06/viral-tweet-alert-wasnt-from-antifa/ |url-status=live}}</ref> As of June 9, 2020, none of the 51 people facing federal charges were alleged to have links to antifa.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lucas |first=Ryan |date=June 9, 2020 |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/06/09/873278314/no-sign-of-antifa-so-far-in-justice-department-cases-brought-over-unrest |title=No Sign Of Antifa So Far In Justice Department Cases Brought Over Unrest |agency=] |access-date=June 11, 2020 |archive-date=June 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611201709/https://www.npr.org/2020/06/09/873278314/no-sign-of-antifa-so-far-in-justice-department-cases-brought-over-unrest |url-status=live}}</ref> As of September 16, 2020, no antifa or left-wing group has been charged in connection with the civil unrest.<ref name="Farivar 2020"/>
During the ] against the ] in May and June 2020, ] ] blamed the violence on "anarchic and far left extremist groups using Antifa-like tactics"<ref name="Barr blames">{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/attorney-general-barr-blames-far-left-extremist-groups-violent-protests-n1219696|title=Attorney General Barr blames 'far-left extremist groups' for violent protests|agency=NBC News|date=May 30, 2020|accessdate=May 30, 2020|last=McCausland|first=Phil}}</ref> and described the actions of "Antifa and other similar groups" as "domestic terrorism",<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-william-p-barrs-statement-riots-and-domestic-terrorism |title=Attorney General William P. Barr's Statement on Riots and Domestic Terrorism |publisher=]|date=May 31, 2020|accessdate=June 1, 2020}}</ref> echoing similar statements by ] ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-says-he-will-designate-antifa-terrorist-organization-gop-points-n1220321 |title=Trump says he will designate antifa a terrorist organization as GOP points fingers at extremists|agency=NBC News|date=May 31, 2020|accessdate=May 31, 2020|last=Smith|first=Allan}}</ref> In ] and other statements, Trump blamed "ANTIFA and the Radical Left" for violence<ref name="Barr blames"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/500576-trump-mobilizes-military-in-dc-to-quell-protests-as-tear-gas-fired |title=Trump mobilizes military in DC to quell protests as tear gas fired into crowds|newspaper=The Hill|date=June 1, 2020|accessdate=June 1, 2020|last1=Samuels|first1=Brett|last2=Chalfant|first2=Morgan}}</ref> and repeatedly pledged that the federal government would designate antifa as a "Terrorist Organization".<ref>{{cite news|last=Beauchamp|first=Zack|title=Antifa, explained|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/6/8/21277320/antifa-anti-fascist-explained|date=June 8, 2020|website=Vox|quote=Take, for example, Trump's repeated vows to label antifa a terrorist organization.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52868295|title=Antifa: Trump says group will be designated 'terrorist organisation'|agency=]|date=May 31, 2020|accessdate=May 31, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/05/31/866369727/trump-lays-blame-for-clashes-on-radical-left-anarchists|title=Trump Lays Blame For Clashes On 'Radical-Left Anarchists'|agency=NPR|date=May 31, 2020|accessdate=May 31, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-says-he-will-designate-antifa-terrorist-organization-gop-points-n1220321|title=Trump says he will designate antifa a terrorist organization as GOP points fingers at extremists|agency=NBC News|date=May 31, 2020|accessdate=May 31, 2020}}</ref> However, Trump lacks the authority to do so because under existing law the federal government may designate only ] and antifa is a loosely associated movement rather than a specific organization.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|last2=Savage|first2=Charlie|date=May 31, 2020|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/politics/trump-antifa-terrorist-group.html|title=Trump, Lacking Clear Authority, Says U.S. Will Declare Antifa a Terrorist Group|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=June 13, 2020|quote=First, antifa is not an organization. It does not have a leader, membership roles or any defined, centralized structure. Rather, it is a vaguely defined movement of people who share common protest tactics and targets. More important, even if antifa were a real organization, the laws that permit the federal government to deem entities terrorists and impose sanctions on them are limited to foreign groups. There is no domestic terrorism law, despite periodic proposals to create one.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Beauchamp|first=Zack|date=June 8, 2020|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/6/8/21277320/antifa-anti-fascist-explained|title=Antifa, explained|website=Vox|accessdate=June 13, 2020|quote=Take, for example, Trump's repeated vows to label antifa a terrorist organization. He cannot do this legally: The federal government maintains a list of foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) . There is no such thing as a domestic terrorism designation, and it would require an act by Congress to create one. The president's proposal is, legally speaking, impossible.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Alemany|first1=Jacqueline|last2=Klemko|first2=Robert|last3=Zapotosky|first3=Matt|date=May 31, 2020|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-antifa-minneapolis-protests/2020/05/31/4f66c7a6-a36a-11ea-b473-04905b1af82b_story.html|title=In Trump's campaign against antifa, observers see an attempt to distract from protesters' genuine outrage|newspaper=The Washington Post|accessdate=June 13, 2020|quote=Trump cannot, for practical and legal reasons, formally designate antifa a terrorist organization . Although Trump vowed Sunday to designate antifa a terrorist organization, legal observers say it is impossible for him to do so with any domestic group.}}</ref> A number of legal experts believe designating antifa as a terrorist group would be unconstitutional, raising ] and ] issues.<ref name="HabermanSavage">{{cite news|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|last2=Savage|first2=Charlie|date=May 31, 2020|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/politics/trump-antifa-terrorist-group.html|title=Trump, Lacking Clear Authority, Says U.S. Will Declare Antifa a Terrorist Group|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=June 13, 2020}}</ref><ref name=Perez>{{cite web|last1=Perez|first1=Evan|last2=Hoffman|first2=Jason|date=May 31, 2020|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/31/politics/trump-antifa-protests/index.html|title=Trump tweets Antifa will be labeled a terrorist organization but experts believe that's unconstitutional|agency=CNN|accessdate=June 13, 2020}}</ref> According to Mark Bray, antifa cannot be designated as a terrorist organization because "he groups are loosely organized, and they aren't large enough to cause everything Trump blames them for". In addition, Bray said that the right-wing has attempted to "blame everything on antifa" during the George Floyd protests and that in assuming antifa to be "predominantly white", it "evince a kind of racism that assumes that black people couldn't organize on this deep and wide of a scale".<ref name="Bray 2020"/>


In an August 2020 interview, Trump asserted "people that are in the dark shadows" control his Democratic presidential opponent ] and then claimed that "we had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs, wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms, with gear and this and that", adding that "they're people that are on the streets. They're people that are controlling the streets." Antifa activists commonly dress in black.<ref name="Collins 2020">{{cite news |last=Collins |first=Ben |date=September 1, 2020 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-s-plane-loaded-thugs-rumor-matches-months-old-facebook-n1238962 |title=Trump's 'plane loaded with thugs' conspiracy theory matches months-old rumor |agency=] |access-date=September 11, 2020 |archive-date=September 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200912054556/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-s-plane-loaded-thugs-rumor-matches-months-old-facebook-n1238962 |url-status=live}}</ref> Trump's remarks were similar to false social media rumors during preceding months that planes and buses full of antifa gangs were preparing to invade communities, allegedly funded by ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Collins |first1=Ben |last2=Zadrozny |first2=Brandy |author2-link=Brandy Zadrozny |date=June 2, 2020 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/antifa-rumors-spread-local-social-media-no-evidence-n1222486 |title=False antifa rumors about a suburban invasion take over neighborhood social media apps |agency=] |access-date=September 11, 2020 |archive-date=September 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200912033037/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/antifa-rumors-spread-local-social-media-no-evidence-n1222486 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Anglen |first1=Robert |last2=Longhi |first2=Lorraine |last3=Ruelas |first3=Richard |date=June 5, 2020 |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-investigations/2020/06/05/fake-social-media-posts-incite-arizona-fear-marauders-rape-and-murder/3125894001/ |title=Fake social media posts incite fear of suburban marauders, rape and murder across the U.S. |newspaper=] |access-date=September 11, 2020 |archive-date=March 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210317195235/https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-investigations/2020/06/05/fake-social-media-posts-incite-arizona-fear-marauders-rape-and-murder/3125894001/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Collins & Zadrozny June 2020">{{cite news |last1=Collins |first1=Ben |last2=Zadrozny |first2=Brandy |author2-link=Brandy Zadrozny |date=June 6, 2020 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/klamath-falls-oregon-victory-declared-over-antifa-which-never-showed-n1226681 |title=In Klamath Falls, Oregon, victory declared over antifa, which never showed up |agency=] |access-date=September 11, 2020 |archive-date=September 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200912054558/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/klamath-falls-oregon-victory-declared-over-antifa-which-never-showed-n1226681 |url-status=live}}</ref> Two days after Trump's remarks, Barr asserted he knew antifa activists "are flying around the country" and "we are following them".<ref name="Wolfe 2020">{{cite news |last=Wolfe |first=Jan |date=September 3, 2020 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-race-barr-police-idUSKBN25T3AI |title=U.S. Attorney General Barr says antifa 'flying around' U.S. to incite violence |work=] |access-date=September 11, 2020 |archive-date=September 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910080623/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-race-barr-police-idUSKBN25T3AI |url-status=live}}</ref> However, there is no evidence of any such flight.<ref name="Collins 2020"/> According to ], "aw enforcement, intelligence and Congressional officials familiar with official reporting on weeks of protests and related arrests said on Tuesday they were aware of no incidents or reports that would confirm Trump's anecdote."<ref name="Wolfe 2020"/>
On June 2, '']'' reported on a copy of an FBI ] internal situation report it had obtained; the report stated that the FBI had "no intelligence indicating Antifa involvement/presence" in the violent May 31 D.C.-area protests.<ref name=Klippenstein>{{cite news|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/antifa-trump-fbi/|title=The FBI Finds 'No Intel Indicating Antifa Involvement' in Sunday's Violence|newspaper=The Nation|date=June 2, 2020|last=Klippenstein|first=Ken|accessdate=June 11, 2020}}</ref> Two days later, Barr said that "e have evidence that antifa and other similar extremist groups, as well as actors of a variety of different political persuasions have been involved in instigating and participating in the violent activity".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ag-barr-evidence-antifa-foreign-actors-involved-sowing/story?id=71066996|title=Evidence that antifa, 'foreign actors' involved in sowing unrest and violence: AG Barr|date=June 4, 2020|accessdate=June 4, 2020|publisher=]|first=Alexander|last=Mallin}}</ref> However, there is no evidence that antifa-aligned individuals played a role in instigating the protests or violence, or that antifa played a significant role in the protests,<ref name="nytimes_antifa"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.voanews.com/usa/nation-turmoil-george-floyd-protests/trump-blames-antifa-protest-records-show-scant-evidence|title=As Trump Blames Antifa, Protest Records Show Scant Evidence|agency=Associated Press|date=June 6, 2020|accessdate=June 9, 2020|via=]|quote=The Associated Press analyzed court records, employment histories, social media posts and other sources of information for 217 people arrested last weekend only a handful appeared to have any affiliation with organized groups. Social media posts indicate only a few of those arrested are left-leaning activists, including a self-described anarchist. But others had indications of being on the political right, including some Trump supporters.}}</ref><ref name=KellySamuels>{{cite news|last1=Kelly|first1=Meg|last2=Samuels|first2=Elyse|date=June 22, 2020|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/22/who-caused-violence-protests-its-not-antifa/|title=Who caused the violence at protests? It wasn't antifa.|newspaper=The Washington Post|accessdate=June 22, 2020}}</ref> and the Trump administration has provided no evidence for its claims.<ref name=KellySamuels/> According to Mark Bray, while "confident that some members of antifa groups have participated in a variety of forms of resistance" during the protests, it is "impossible to ascertain the exact number of people who belong to antifa groups".<ref name="Bray 2020"/> As of June 9, none of the 51 people facing federal charges were alleged to have links to antifa.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/06/09/873278314/no-sign-of-antifa-so-far-in-justice-department-cases-brought-over-unrest|title=No Sign Of Antifa So Far In Justice Department Cases Brought Over Unrest|date=June 9, 2020|accessdate=June 11, 2020|publisher=]|first=Ryan|last=Lucas}}</ref> ] ], who said on June 4, 2020 that "anarchists like Antifa" are "exploiting this situation to pursue violent, extremist agendas",<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/wray-claims-fbi-sees-anarchists-170251591.html|title=Wray claims FBI sees 'anarchists like Antifa' exploiting George Floyd protests|agency=Yahoo News|date=June 4, 2020|accessdate=June 8, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|last=Wray|first=Christopher A.|date=June 4, 2020|url=https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-director-christopher-wrays-remarks-at-press-conference-regarding-civil-unrest-in-wake-of-george-floyds-death|title=FBI Director Christopher Wray's Remarks at Press Conference Regarding Civil Unrest in Wake of George Floyd's Death|publisher=Federal Bureau of Investigation|accessdate=June 8, 2020}}</ref> testified to the ] in July 2020 that the agency "considers antifa more of an ideology than an organization".<ref name="nytimes_antifa"/>


In a September 2020 whistleblower complaint,<ref>{{cite web |last=Murphy |first=Brian |date=September 8, 2020 |url=https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/murphy_wb_dhs_oig_complaint9.8.20.pdf |title=In the Matter of Murphy, Brian Principal Deputy Under Secretary Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence & Analysis Complaint |publisher=United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence |access-date=September 10, 2020 |archive-date=September 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909212956/https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/murphy_wb_dhs_oig_complaint9.8.20.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> ], who was the ] until August 2020, asserted that DHS secretary ] and his deputy ] instructed him "to modify intelligence assessments to ensure they matched up with the public comments by President Trump on the subject of ANTIFA and 'anarchist' groups."<ref>{{cite news |last=Cohen |first=Zachary |date=September 9, 2020 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/09/politics/dhs-whistleblower-white-supremacist-threat/index.html |title=Whistleblower accuses Trump appointees of downplaying Russian interference and White supremacist threat |agency=] |access-date=September 10, 2020 |archive-date=September 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910014422/https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/09/politics/dhs-whistleblower-white-supremacist-threat/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref> On September 18, 2020, Trump publicly criticized FBI Director ] and hinted that he could fire him over Wray's testimony about antifa and ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Niedzwiadek |first=Nick |date=September 18, 2020 |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/18/trump-christopher-wray-fbi-417863 |title=Trump hits FBI director again over testimony on antifa, Russia |newspaper=] |access-date=September 23, 2020 |archive-date=September 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927140311/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/18/trump-christopher-wray-fbi-417863 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Barrett |first1=Devlin |last2=Itkowitz |first2=Colby |date=September 19, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-wray-fbi-testimony/2020/09/18/2c7d16a2-f9f3-11ea-89e3-4b9efa36dc64_story.html |title=Trump suggests he'd consider removing FBI director over unfavorable testimony |newspaper=] |access-date=September 23, 2020 |archive-date=September 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920183503/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-wray-fbi-testimony/2020/09/18/2c7d16a2-f9f3-11ea-89e3-4b9efa36dc64_story.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Massie |first=Graeme |date=September 18, 2020 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-fbi-chritopher-wray-antifa-b489667.html |title=Donald Trump hints he could fire FBI director over Antifa disagreement |newspaper=] |access-date=September 23, 2020 |archive-date=September 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919223703/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-fbi-chritopher-wray-antifa-b489667.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Members of Congress ===
], then ] for the ], condemned the violence of antifa activists in Berkeley on August 29, 2017.<ref name="Pelosi Statement Condemning Antifa Violence in Berkeley"/><ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.democraticleader.gov/newsroom/82917/|title=Pelosi Statement Condemning Antifa Violence in Berkeley|last=Pelosi|first=Nancy|date=August 29, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829224007/http://www.democraticleader.gov/newsroom/82917/|archivedate=August 29, 2017|url-status=dead|accessdate=July 29, 2019}}</ref>


On September 25, 2020, the ] released details of a "Platinum Plan for Black America", under which "Antifa" and the ] would be prosecuted as terrorist organizations.<ref>{{cite news |last=Capps |first=Kriston |date=September 29, 2020 |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-29/trump-shines-up-a-platinum-plan-for-black-voters |title=Trump Releases a 'Platinum Plan' for Black Voters |agency=] |access-date=October 23, 2020 |archive-date=October 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020225122/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-29/trump-shines-up-a-platinum-plan-for-black-voters |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Vazquez |first=Maegan |date=October 7, 2020 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/25/politics/donald-trump-black-empowerment-platinum-plan/index.html |title=Trump unveils 'Platinum Plan' for Black Americans |agency=] |access-date=October 23, 2020 |archive-date=October 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026153822/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/25/politics/donald-trump-black-empowerment-platinum-plan/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
In July 2019, ] Senators ] and ] introduced a ] that would designate antifa a domestic terrorist organization.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lati|first=Marisa|title=Two senators want antifa activists to be labeled 'domestic terrorists.' Here's what that means.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/20/senators-want-antifa-activists-be-labeled-domestic-terrorists-heres-what-that-means/|work=The Washington Post|date=July 20, 2019|accessdate=June 4, 2020}}</ref>


== Hoaxes and conspiracy theories ==
In June 2020, Republican Senator ] advocated using military force to quell nationwide ], calling for the ] to be deployed to combat what he called "Antifa terrorists".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/gops-tom-cotton-calls-for-military-force-against-anarchist-protesters-2020-6|title=GOP Sen. Tom Cotton calls for the US Army's toughest soldiers to quell 'domestic terrorism' and suggests protesters should be shown no mercy|work=]|date=June 1, 2020|accessdate=June 2, 2020|last=Relman|first=Eliza}}</ref> Cruz accused "Antifa protesters" of "organizing these acts of terror"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/Ted-Cruz-says-Antifa-protesters-are-behaving-15311996.php|title=Ted Cruz says Antifa protesters are 'behaving like bigots'|work=Houston Chronicle|date=June 2, 2020|accessdate=June 7, 2020|last=Wallace|first=Jeremy}}</ref> and called for "systematic law enforcement targeting Antifa and other terrorist groups".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/ted-cruz-rioting-terrorist-assault-america|title=Ted Cruz: Rioting cannot be tolerated, this is 'terrorist assault' on America|publisher=]|date=June 2, 2020|accessdate=June 7, 2020|last=Kaplan|first=Talia}}</ref>
] about antifa that tend to incorrectly portray antifa as a single organization with leaders and secret sources of funding have been spread by ] activists, media organizations and politicians,<ref name="Laura Ingraham proposes declaring antifa a 'terrorist organization'"/><ref name="Alba"/> including ] officials<ref name="Stelloh 2020">{{cite news |last=Stelloh |first=Tim |date=September 1, 2020 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-antifa-hunter-sentenced-three-years-after-threatening-black-political-n1238943 |title=Florida 'antifa hunter' sentenced to three years after threatening Black political candidate, activist |agency=] |access-date=September 3, 2020 |archive-date=September 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901053026/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-antifa-hunter-sentenced-three-years-after-threatening-black-political-n1238943 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Bray September 2020"/><ref name="Battleground sunshine 2020">{{cite news |last=Sunshine |first=Spencer |date=June 5, 2020 |url=https://www.thebattleground.eu/articles/2020/06/05/blaming-it-on-antifa/ |title=Blaming it on Antifa: Trump's Crisis Scapegoats |website=The Battleground |access-date=September 13, 2020 |archive-date=July 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723063818/https://www.thebattleground.eu/articles/2020/06/05/blaming-it-on-antifa/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Jason |date=June 6, 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/06/what-is-antifa-trump-terrorist-designation |title=What is antifa and why is Donald Trump targeting it? |newspaper=] |access-date=June 7, 2020 |archive-date=June 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606211555/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/06/what-is-antifa-trump-terrorist-designation |url-status=live}}</ref> and the ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Nieto |first=Phillip |date=September 13, 2020 |url=https://www.mediaite.com/donald-trump/trump-campaign-sends-alarming-text-to-supporters-warning-antifa-will-attack-your-homes-if-biden-is-elected/ |title=Trump Campaign Sends Alarming Text to Supporters |website=] |access-date=September 13, 2020 |archive-date=September 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200917075326/https://www.mediaite.com/donald-trump/trump-campaign-sends-alarming-text-to-supporters-warning-antifa-will-attack-your-homes-if-biden-is-elected/ |url-status=live}}</ref>


=== #PunchWhiteWomen (2017) ===
=== Civil rights organizations ===
In August 2017, a #PunchWhiteWomen photo hoax campaign was spread by fake antifa Twitter accounts.<ref name=Salon/><ref name="dailydot">{{cite web |access-date=August 14, 2019 |title=Fake 'antifa' campaign telling people to 'punch white women' is a 4chan hoax |url=https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/fake-antifa-punch-women-4chan-hoax/ |date=August 24, 2017 |website=] |archive-date=September 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920112820/https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/fake-antifa-punch-women-4chan-hoax/ |url-status=live}}</ref> ] researcher ] discovered an image of British actress ] portraying a battered woman in a 2007 ] anti-domestic violence campaign that had been re-purposed using fake antifa Twitter accounts organized by way of ]. The image is captioned "53% of white women voted for Trump, 53% of white women should look like this" and includes an antifa flag. Another image featuring an injured woman is captioned "She chose to be a Nazi. Choices have consequences" and includes the hashtag #PunchANazi. Higgins remarked to the ] that "his was a transparent and quite pathetic attempt, but I wouldn't be surprised if white nationalist groups try to mount more sophisticated attacks in the future".<ref name="Far-right smear campaign against Antifa exposed by Bellingcat"/> A similar fake image circulated on social media after the ] in 2017. The doctored image, actually from a 2009 riot in ], was altered to make it look like someone wearing an antifa symbol attacking a policeman with a flag.<ref>{{cite news |access-date=September 11, 2018 |title=Antifa activist didn't beat cop in Charlottesville (Faked image has been around for years) |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3667821/charlottesville-fake-news-photo-athens-2009/ |newspaper=] |date=August 19, 2017 |archive-date=September 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911233221/https://globalnews.ca/news/3667821/charlottesville-fake-news-photo-athens-2009/ |url-status=live}}</ref> After the ], similar hoaxes falsely claimed that the shooter was an antifa "member"; another such hoax involved a fake antifa Twitter account praising the shooting.<ref>{{cite news |last=Romano |first=Aja |date=October 5, 2017 |url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/10/5/16400394/las-vegas-shooting-fake-news-propaganda |title=After the Las Vegas shooting, 4chan and propagandists spread fake news |website=] |access-date=September 11, 2018 |archive-date=September 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911225444/https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/10/5/16400394/las-vegas-shooting-fake-news-propaganda |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |access-date=September 11, 2018 |title=Misinformation Is the New Normal of Mass Shootings |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/02/las-vegas-shooting-fake-news-guns-215670 |newspaper=] |date=October 2, 2017 |archive-date=September 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912021905/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/02/las-vegas-shooting-fake-news-guns-215670 |url-status=live}}</ref> Another high-profile fake antifa account was banned from Twitter after it posted with a geotag originating in Russia.<ref name="vice">{{cite news |access-date=September 11, 2018 |title=A Fake Antifa Account Was 'Busted' for Tweeting from Russia |url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/59dwed/a-fake-antifa-account-was-busted-for-tweeting-from-russia-vgtrn |agency=] |date=September 28, 2017 |archive-date=September 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911225348/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/59dwed/a-fake-antifa-account-was-busted-for-tweeting-from-russia-vgtrn |url-status=live}}</ref> Such fake antifa accounts have been repeatedly reported on as real by right-leaning media outlets.<ref name="GQ"/><ref name="masslive"/>
According to the ] (ADL), "most established civil rights organizations criticize antifa tactics as dangerous and counterproductive".<ref name="ADL page"/> The ADL criticized antifa for its use of "unacceptable tactics" such as violence and warned that such tactics provided a powerful propaganda and recruitment tool to right-wing extremists.<ref name="ADL page"/> However, the ADL stated that "it is important to reject ] between the antifa and the white supremacist groups they oppose", noting that right-wing extremist movements are much more violent and have been responsible for hundreds of murders in the United States while "there have not been any known antifa-related murders".<ref name="ADL page"/>


=== Academics and scholars === === "Antifa civil war" (2017) ===
In October 2017, a conspiracy theory claiming that antifa groups were planning a violent insurrection or civil war the following month spread on ] and was advanced by far-right figures including ], ], ], and ].<ref name=wilsonnov1>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/01/far-right-conspiracy-theory-us-civil-war |title=Why the far right believes a US civil war will start on Saturday |date=November 1, 2017 |access-date=October 28, 2020 |work=] |first=Jason |last=Wilson |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030181548/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/01/far-right-conspiracy-theory-us-civil-war |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=haydenoct11>{{cite web |url=https://www.newsweek.com/antifa-waging-civil-war-november-4-right-wing-conspiracy-theory-681219 |title='Antifa' Waging Civil War on November 4, According to Right Wing Conspiracy |date=October 11, 2017 |access-date=October 28, 2020 |work=] |first=Michael Edison |last=Hayden |archive-date=October 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027032557/https://www.newsweek.com/antifa-waging-civil-war-november-4-right-wing-conspiracy-theory-681219 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=sunshineoct31>{{cite web |url=http://www.politicalresearch.org/2017/10/31/rumors-of-civil-war-how-anti-communist-conspiracies-imagine-an-antifa-civil-war-on-november-4 |title=Rumors of Civil War |date=October 31, 2017 |access-date=October 28, 2010 |publisher=] |first=Spencer |last=Sunshine |archive-date=November 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171102031552/http://www.politicalresearch.org/2017/10/31/rumors-of-civil-war-how-anti-communist-conspiracies-imagine-an-antifa-civil-war-on-november-4/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/technology/2017/11/conspiracy-theorists-are-obsessed-with-nov-4-and-antifa-because-its-clickbait.html |title=Antifa Is Clickbait for Conspiracy Theorists |date=November 3, 2017 |access-date=October 28, 2020 |work=] |first=Inkoo |last=Kang |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101165117/https://slate.com/technology/2017/11/conspiracy-theorists-are-obsessed-with-nov-4-and-antifa-because-its-clickbait.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/is-antifa-planning-a-civil-war/ |title=Is 'Antifa' Planning a Civil War?|date=November 3, 2017 |access-date=October 28, 2020 |work=] |first=Kim |last=LaCapria |archive-date=November 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125225620/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/is-antifa-planning-a-civil-war/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The basis for the conspiracy theory was a series of ] organized by the group ].<ref name=wilsonnov1/><ref name=haydenoct11/><ref name=sunshineoct31/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/technology/2017/11/why-a-conspiracy-about-antifa-starting-a-civil-war-saturday-won-t-go-away-on-the-far-right.html |title=Why the Far Right Thinks a Second U.S. Civil War Launches Saturday |date=November 3, 2017 |access-date=October 28, 2020 |work=] |first=Aaron |last=Mak |archive-date=October 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031235014/https://slate.com/technology/2017/11/why-a-conspiracy-about-antifa-starting-a-civil-war-saturday-won-t-go-away-on-the-far-right.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The protests passed off as planned without causing significant disruption.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newsweek.com/antifa-civil-war-november-4-really-just-few-protests-against-trump-702150 |title='Antifa Civil War' on November 4 Was Really Just a Few Protests Against Trump |date=November 4, 2017 |access-date=October 28, 2020 |work=] |first=Michael Edison |last=Hayden |archive-date=October 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020214549/https://www.newsweek.com/antifa-civil-war-november-4-really-just-few-protests-against-trump-702150 |url-status=live}}</ref>
] historian Mark Bray, who has studied the antifa movement, has stated: "Given the historical and current threat that white supremacist and fascist groups pose, it's clear to me that organized, collective self-defense is not only a legitimate response, but lamentably an all-too-necessary response to this threat on too many occasions".<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Bray|first1=Mark|last2=Bernstein Sycamore|first2=Mattilda|date=December 11, 2017|url=https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/anti-fascism-beyond-the-headlines-mattilda-bernstein-sycamore-interviews-mark-bray/|title=Anti-Fascism Beyond the Headlines: Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore Interviews Mark Bray|magazine=Los Angeles Review of Books|accessdate=July 22, 2020}}</ref> Alexander Reid Ross, a lecturer in geography and an author on the contemporary right, has argued that antifa groups represented "one of the best models for channeling the popular reflexes and spontaneous movements towards confronting fascism in organized and focused ways".<ref>{{cite web|author1=Anti Fascist News|last2=Ross|first2=Alexander Reid|date=January 23, 2017|url=https://itsgoingdown.org/responding-fascist-creep-interview-alexander-reid-ross|title=Responding to the Fascist Creep: An Interview With Alexander Reid Ross – It's Going Down|website=It's Going Down|accessdate=July 22, 2020}}</ref> ], who attended a counter-protest to the ], said in an interview that "we would have been crushed like cockroaches if it were not for the anarchists and the anti-fascists", describing a situation where a group of 20 counter-protesters were surrounded by marchers whom he described as "neofascists".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Blackmon|first1=Traci|last2=Goodman|first2=Amy|last3=West|first3=Cornel|date=August 14, 2017|url=https://www.democracynow.org/2017/8/14/cornel_west_rev_toni_blackmon_clergy|title=Cornel West & Rev. Traci Blackmon: Clergy in Charlottesville Were Trapped by Torch-Wielding Nazis|website=Democracy Now|accessdate=July 22, 2020}}</ref>


=== "Antifa Manual" (2017) ===
] described them as "a major gift to the right".<ref name="Noam Chomsky: Antifa is a 'major gift to the right'"/> Eleanor Penny, an author on fascism and the far-right, argues against Chomsky that "physical resistance has time and again protected local populations from racist violence, and prevented a gathering caucus of fascists from making further inroads into mainstream politics".<ref name="Noam Chomsky: Antifa is a 'major gift to the right'"/> Some "anti-anti-fascists" on the left have argued that antifa attack a symptom of ] rather than combating ] itself and in doing so distance themselves from ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://communemag.com/anti-anti-antifa/|title=Anti-Anti-Antifa|date=Fall 2018|accessdate=July 10, 2019|work=Commune|first=A. M.|last=Gittlitz}}</ref> Historian and '']'' magazine editor ] wrote: "Non-leftists often see the left as a disruptive, lawless force. Violence tends to confirm that view".<ref name="VoxCase"/> The historian ] argued that "hrowing a milkshake]] is not equivalent to killing someone, but because the people in power are allied with the right, any provocation, any dissent against right-wing violence, backfires", with the effect that "ilitancy on the left" can "become a justification for those in power and allies on the right to crack down" on the left.<ref name=bogelburroughs/>
A fake "Antifa Manual" has circulated online, debunked by ] in 2017.<ref name="Snopes.com 2017 manual">{{cite web |title=Is This 'Antifa Manual' Real? |website=] |date=21 August 2017 |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/antifa-manual-online/ |access-date=March 25, 2021 |archive-date=November 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126195502/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/antifa-manual-online/ |url-status=live}}</ref> According to the ADL, the language used in the document appears designed to sow division and features many statements that do not align with the sentiments of anti-fascist organizers, often clumsily mimicking "left wing" rhetoric.<ref name="ADL disinfo">{{Cite web |title=Disinformation: Antifa manual |url=https://www.adl.org/disinformation-antifa-manual |access-date=March 24, 2021 |website=] |archive-date=January 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106161837/https://www.adl.org/disinformation-antifa-manual |url-status=live}}</ref> The same images continued to be shared on social media in posts about the ], including a Twitter post by ] conspiracy theorist ].<ref name="ADL disinfo" /><ref name="tagesschau.de 2020">{{cite news |title=Proteste in den USA: Die 'Antifa-Soros-Verschwörung' |trans-title=Protests in the US: The 'Antifa-Soros Conspiracy' |work=] |date=July 29, 2020 |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/faktenfinder/minneapolis-usa-geruechte-fakes-101.html |language=de |access-date=March 26, 2021 |archive-date=April 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418103907/https://www.tagesschau.de/faktenfinder/minneapolis-usa-geruechte-fakes-101.html |url-status=live}}</ref>


=== 8chan list (2018) ===
In relation to the ] in August 2017, a 2018 study conducted by professor of criminology ] on the link between antifa and terrorism concluded that "while the events share many characteristics of terrorist attacks", the actions by antifa supporters during this event "do not include all of the elements of terrorism required by the ]". Whereas it fulfilled the requirements of an action led by "sub-national actors" with "violence or threat of violence", it lacked in particular the "intentionality of the incident", that is the "result of a conscious calculation on the part of the perpetrators". LaFree also questioned "whether antifa can be considered to constitute a 'group' at this point in time" and stressed "how complicated it is to distinguish terrorism from other forms of illegal violence" such as those by antifa supporters.<ref>{{cite journal|last=LaFree|first=Gary|s2cid=149530376|author-link=Gary LaFree|date=2018|title=Is Antifa a Terrorist Group?|url=|journal=Society|volume=55|issue=3|pages=248–252|doi=10.1007/s12115-018-0246-x}}</ref>
{{Excerpt|8chan|Louisiana Police's antifa list}}


=== George Floyd protests (2020) ===
According to a 2020 study by the ], there have been zero deaths linked to antifa, with no deaths linked to anti-fascism since 1994, in contrast to 329 people killed by American white supremacists or other right-wing extremists during the same period.<ref>{{cite news|last=Beckett|first=Lois|date=July 27, 2020|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/27/us-rightwing-extremists-attacks-deaths-database-leftwing-antifa|title=Anti-fascists linked to zero murders in the US in 25 years|newspaper=The Guardian|accessdate=July 28, 2020}}</ref>
{{Further|George Floyd protests#Conspiracy theories}}
During the nationwide ] against ] and racism in May and June 2020, false claims of impending antifa activity circulated through social media platforms, causing alarm in at least 41 towns and cities.<ref name="Alba & Decker">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/22/technology/antifa-local-disinformation.html |title=41 Cities, Many Sources: How False Antifa Rumors Spread Locally |date=June 22, 2020 |access-date=June 24, 2020 |newspaper=] |first1=Davey |last1=Alba |first2=Ben |last2=Decker |archive-date=June 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623231413/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/22/technology/antifa-local-disinformation.html |url-status=live}}</ref> On May 31, 2020, @ANTIFA_US, a newly created Twitter account, attempted to incite violence relating to the protests. The next day, after determining that it was linked to the white nationalist group ], Twitter suspended the fake account.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/twitter-takes-down-washington-protest-disinformation-bot-behavior-n1221456 |title=White nationalist group posing as antifa called for violence on Twitter |agency=]|date=June 1, 2020 |access-date=June 2, 2020 |last1=Collins |first1=Ben |last2=Zadrozny |first2=Brandy |author-link2=Brandy Zadrozny |last3=Saliba |first3=Emmanuelle |archive-date=June 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200602022352/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/twitter-takes-down-washington-protest-disinformation-bot-behavior-n1221456 |url-status=live}}</ref> The ]'s Washington Field Office report stated that members of a far-right group on social media had "called for far-right provocateurs to attack federal agents, use automatic weapons against protesters" during the ] over Floyd's murder on May 31, 2020.<ref name=Klippenstein/>


Conservative news organizations, pro-Trump individuals using social media, and impostor social media accounts propagated false rumors that antifa groups were traveling to small cities, suburbs, and rural communities to instigate unrest during the protests.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.voanews.com/usa/false-claims-antifa-protesters-plague-small-us-cities-0 |title=False Claims of Antifa Protesters Plague Small US Cities |date=June 4, 2020 |access-date=June 9, 2020 |agency=] |archive-date=June 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609194438/https://www.voanews.com/usa/false-claims-antifa-protesters-plague-small-us-cities-0 |url-status=live}}</ref> In May and June 2020, ] repeatedly promoted hoaxes as part of ]' coverage of antifa, including publishing a false document she described as an antifa battle plan and claiming that a joke about ] was evidence of a clandestine antifa hierarchy.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Baragona |first1=Justin |last2=Sommer |first2=Will |date=June 11, 2020 |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/lara-logan-the-fox-nation-investigative-journalist-who-keeps-falling-for-antifa-hoaxes |title=Lara Logan, the Fox 'Investigative Journalist' Who Keeps Falling for Antifa Hoaxes |website=] |access-date=June 15, 2020 |archive-date=June 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614084412/https://www.thedailybeast.com/lara-logan-the-fox-nation-investigative-journalist-who-keeps-falling-for-antifa-hoaxes |url-status=live}}</ref> In an appearance on Fox News's '']'' in June 2020, Trump's personal attorney ] claimed that "Antifa" as well as "Black Lives Matter" and unspecified communists were working together to "do away with our system of courts" and "take your property away and give it to other people", asserting without evidence that they receive significant funding from an outside source. Giuliani had previously criticized ], who has been a frequent ], claiming he funded such groups and demonstrations.<ref>{{cite news |last=Graziosi |first=Graig |date=June 23, 2020 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/rudy-giuliani-black-lives-matter-laura-ingraham-fox-news-a9581601.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/rudy-giuliani-black-lives-matter-laura-ingraham-fox-news-a9581601.html |archive-date=May 7, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Rudy Giuliani says Black Lives Matter 'wants to come and take your house away from you' in Fox News rant |newspaper=] |access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref>
== Hoaxes ==
In August 2017, a #PunchWhiteWomen photo hoax campaign spread by fake antifa Twitter accounts.<ref name=Salon/><ref name="dailydot">{{cite web|accessdate=August 14, 2019|title=Fake 'antifa' campaign telling people to 'punch white women' is a 4chan hoax|url=https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/fake-antifa-punch-women-4chan-hoax/|date=August 24, 2017|website=The Daily Dot}}</ref> ] researcher ] discovered an image of British actress ] portraying a battered woman in a 2007 ] anti-domestic violence campaign that had been re-purposed using fake antifa Twitter accounts organized by way of ]. The image is captioned "53% of white women voted for Trump, 53% of white women should look like this" and includes an antifa flag. Another image featuring an injured woman is captioned "She chose to be a Nazi. Choices have consequences" and includes the hashtag #PunchANazi. Higgins remarked to the ] that "his was a transparent and quite pathetic attempt, but I wouldn't be surprised if white nationalist groups try to mount more sophisticated attacks in the future".<ref name="Far-right smear campaign against Antifa exposed by Bellingcat"/> A similar fake image circulated on social media after the ] in 2017. The doctored image, actually from a 2009 riot in ], was altered to make it look like someone wearing an antifa symbol attacking a policeman with a flag.<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=September 11, 2018|title=Antifa activist didn't beat cop in Charlottesville (Faked image has been around for years)|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3667821/charlottesville-fake-news-photo-athens-2009/|newspaper=Global News|date=August 19, 2017}}</ref> After the ], similar hoaxes falsely claimed that the shooter was an antifa "member"; another such hoax involved a fake antifa Twitter account praising the shooting.<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=September 11, 2018|title=Most people saw the Las Vegas shooting as a tragedy. Propagandists saw an opportunity.|url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/10/5/16400394/las-vegas-shooting-fake-news-propaganda|newspaper=Vox|date=October 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|accessdate=September 11, 2018|title=Misinformation Is the New Normal of Mass Shootings|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/02/las-vegas-shooting-fake-news-guns-215670|newspaper=Politico|date=October 2, 2017}}</ref> Another high-profile fake antifa account was banned from Twitter after it posted with a geotag originating in Russia.<ref name="vice">{{cite news|accessdate=September 11, 2018|title=A Fake Antifa Account Was 'Busted' for Tweeting from Russia|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/59dwed/a-fake-antifa-account-was-busted-for-tweeting-from-russia-vgtrn|newspaper=Vice|date=September 28, 2017}}</ref> Those fake antifa accounts have been repeatedly reported on as real by right-leaning media outlets.<ref name="GQ"/><ref name="masslive"/>


In June, 2020, the ]'s air unit launched a search for "antifa buses" in response to Instagram and Facebook posts showing a van with the slogan "Black Lives Matter" written on it.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/23/revealed-california-police-antifa-misinformation |title=Revealed: how California police chased a nonexistent 'antifa bus' |date=August 23, 2021 |access-date=October 2, 2021 |work=] |first=Sam |last=Levin |archive-date=October 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002111933/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/23/revealed-california-police-antifa-misinformation |url-status=live}}</ref> Later in June 2020, a multiracial family on a camping trip in ], were accused of being antifa activists, harassed and trapped in their campsite when trees were felled to block the road.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/crime/family-harassed-in-forks-after-being-accused-of-being-members-of-antifa/ |title=Family harassed in Forks after being accused of being members of Antifa |date=June 5, 2020 |access-date=June 5, 2020 |newspaper=] |archive-date=June 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605160358/https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/crime/family-harassed-in-forks-after-being-accused-of-being-members-of-antifa/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/multiracial-family-harassed-accused-of-being-antifa-during-camping-trip-in-clallam-county/ |title=Deputies investigate after family on camping trip harassed |date=June 5, 2020 |access-date=June 5, 2020 |archive-date=June 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605220432/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/multiracial-family-harassed-accused-of-being-antifa-during-camping-trip-in-clallam-county/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/501356-family-camping-in-washington-harassed-by-locals-accused-of/ |title=Family camping in Washington harassed by locals, accused of being antifa members |date=June 5, 2020 |access-date=June 5, 2020 |newspaper=] |first=Morgan |last=Gstalter |archive-date=June 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605220428/https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/501356-family-camping-in-washington-harassed-by-locals-accused-of |url-status=live}}</ref> In ], groups of armed right-wing vigilantes occupied streets in response to false rumors that antifa activists were planning to travel to the city while similar rumors led to threats being made against activists planning peaceful protests in ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/06/rightwing-vigilante-armed-antifa-protests |title=Rightwing vigilantes on armed patrol after fake rumours of antifa threat |date=June 6, 2020 |access-date=June 6, 2020 |newspaper=] |first=Jason |last=Wilson |archive-date=June 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606111034/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/06/rightwing-vigilante-armed-antifa-protests |url-status=live}}</ref> In ], hundreds of people, most of whom were armed, assembled in response to false rumors that antifa activists would target the city, spread by a commander in the ].<ref name="Collins & Zadrozny June 2020"/>
During the nationwide ] against police brutality and racism in May and June 2020, false claims of impending antifa activity circulated through social media platforms, causing alarm in at least 41 towns and cities.<ref name="Alba & Decker">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/22/technology/antifa-local-disinformation.html|title=41 Cities, Many Sources: How False Antifa Rumors Spread Locally|date=June 22, 2020|accessdate=June 24, 2020|work=]|first1=Davey|last1=Alba|first2=Ben|last2=Decker}}</ref> On May 31, 2020, @ANTIFA_US, a newly created Twitter account, attempted to incite violence relating to the protests. The next day, after determining that it was linked to the white nationalist group ], Twitter suspended the fake account.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/twitter-takes-down-washington-protest-disinformation-bot-behavior-n1221456 |title=White nationalist group posing as antifa called for violence on Twitter|agency=]|date=June 1, 2020|accessdate=June 2, 2020 |last1=Collins|first1=Ben|last2=Zadrozny|first2=Brandy|last3=Saliba|first3=Emmanuelle}}</ref> An ]'s Washington Field Office report stated that members of a far-right group on social media had "called for far-right provocateurs to attack federal agents, use automatic weapons against protesters" during the D.C.-area protests over Floyd's murder on May 31, 2020.<ref name=Klippenstein/> Conservative news organizations, pro-Trump individuals using social media and impostor social media accounts propagated false rumors that antifa groups were travelling to small cities, suburbs and rural communities to instigate unrest during the protests.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.voanews.com/usa/false-claims-antifa-protesters-plague-small-us-cities-0|title=False Claims of Antifa Protesters Plague Small US Cities|date=June 4, 2020|accessdate=June 9, 2020|publisher=]}}</ref> In May and June 2020, ] repeatedly promoted hoaxes as part of ]' coverage of antifa, including publishing a false document she described as an antifa battle plan and claiming that a joke about ] was evidence of a clandestine antifa hierarchy.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Baragona|first1=Justin|last2=Sommer|first2=Will|date=June 11, 2020|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/lara-logan-the-fox-nation-investigative-journalist-who-keeps-falling-for-antifa-hoaxes|title=Lara Logan, the Fox 'Investigative Journalist' Who Keeps Falling for Antifa Hoaxes|website=]|accessdate=June 15, 2020}}</ref> In an appearance on Fox News's '']'' in June 2020, Trump's personal attorney ] claimed that "Antifa" as well as "Black Lives Matter" and unspecified communists were working together to "do away with our system of courts" and "take your property away and give it to other people", asserting without evidence that they receive significant funding from an outside source. Giuliani had previously criticized ], who has been a frequent ] claiming he funded such groups and demonstrations.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graziosi|first=Graig|date=June 23, 2020|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/rudy-giuliani-black-lives-matter-laura-ingraham-fox-news-a9581601.html|title=Rudy Giuliani says Black Lives Matter 'wants to come and take your house away from you' in Fox News rant|newspaper=The Independent|accessdate=June 27, 2020}}</ref>


In an August 2020 interview, Trump spread a similar ], claiming that "thugs, wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms, with gear and this and that" had boarded a plane to Washington, D.C. to disrupt the ].<ref name="Collins 2020"/> Also in August 2020, a fake antifa website began to redirect users to the ] website.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Miriam |last1=Fauzia |access-date=May 18, 2021 |title=Fact check: Antifa.com redirects to Joe Biden's website, but Biden campaign not involved |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/09/02/fact-check-antifa-com-redirects-joe-biden-site-hes-not-involved/3455297001/ |work=] |archive-date=May 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526025100/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/09/02/fact-check-antifa-com-redirects-joe-biden-site-hes-not-involved/3455297001/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |access-date=May 18, 2021 |title=Fact check: Antifa.com does redirect to Joebiden.com, but this is not proof of a link between the two |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-antifa-joebiden-websites-idUSKBN25S5C3 |newspaper=] |date=1 September 2020 |archive-date=May 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518224633/https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-antifa-joebiden-websites-idUSKBN25S5C3 |url-status=live}}</ref> Although this has been described as "clearly a ploy to associate the Democratic Party with antifa", some on the right seized upon it.<ref name="Bray September 2020"/><ref>{{cite news |access-date=May 18, 2021 |title=Antifa website redirected to Biden's campaign site causes right-wing conspiracy meltdown |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election/antifa-website-joe-biden-donald-trump-conspiracy-a9669806.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election/antifa-website-joe-biden-donald-trump-conspiracy-a9669806.html |archive-date=May 7, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |date=13 August 2020 |work=]}}</ref>
In June 2020, a multiracial family on a camping trip in ] were accused of being antifa activists, harassed and trapped in their campsite when trees were felled to block the road.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/crime/family-harassed-in-forks-after-being-accused-of-being-members-of-antifa/|title=Family harassed in Forks after being accused of being members of Antifa|date=June 5, 2020|accessdate=June 5, 2020|work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/multiracial-family-harassed-accused-of-being-antifa-during-camping-trip-in-clallam-county/|title=Deputies investigate after family on camping trip harassed|date=June 5, 2020|accessdate=June 5, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/501356-family-camping-in-washington-harassed-by-locals-accused-of|title=Family camping in Washington harassed by locals, accused of being antifa members|date=June 5, 2020|accessdate=June 5, 2020|work=]|first=Morgan|last=Gstalter}}</ref> In ], groups of armed right-wing vigilantes occupied streets in response to false rumors that antifa activists were planning to travel to the city while similar rumors led to threats being made against activists planning peaceful protests in ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/06/rightwing-vigilante-armed-antifa-protests|title=Rightwing vigilantes on armed patrol after fake rumours of antifa threat|date=6 June 2020|accessdate=June 6, 2020|work=]|first=Jason|last=Wilson}}</ref> In ], hundreds of people, most of whom were armed, assembled in response to false rumors that antifa activists would target the city, spread by a commander in the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/klamath-falls-oregon-victory-declared-over-antifa-which-never-showed-n1226681|title=In Klamath Falls, Oregon, victory declared over antifa, which never showed up|date=June 6, 2020|accessdate=June 9, 2020|publisher=]|first1=Brandy|last1=Zadrozny|first2=Ben|last2=Collins}}</ref> A study by ] found that unsubstantiated claims of antifa involvement were one of three dominant themes in misinformation and ] around the protests, alongside claims that Floyd's death had been faked and claims of involvement by George Soros.<ref name="Alba">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/01/technology/george-floyd-misinformation-online.html|title=Misinformation About George Floyd Protests Surges on Social Media|date=June 1, 2020|accessdate=June 4, 2020|work=]|first=Davey|last=Alba}}</ref> Some of the opposition to antifa activism has also been artificial in nature. Nafeesa Syeed of '']'' reported that "he most-tweeted link in the ] followed by the researchers was a petition to declare Antifa a terrorist group".<ref>{{cite web|first=Nafeesa|last=Syeed|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-01/russia-linked-bots-hone-online-attack-plans-for-2018-u-s-vote|title=Pro-Russian Bots Sharpen Online Attacks for 2018 U.S. Vote|work=Bloomberg Politics|date=September 1, 2017|accessdate=November 7, 2017}}</ref>

A 2021 ] (DHS) internal report found that senior DHS officials had sought to portray the 2020 ], without evidence, as an organized effort by antifa to attack government institutions, and had ordered staff to characterize protests as "Violent Antifa Anarchist Inspired".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.opb.org/article/2021/10/01/senior-homeland-security-leaders-pushed-unfounded-antifa-conspiracy-at-2020-portland-protests-report-states/ |title=Senior Homeland Security leaders pushed unfounded antifa conspiracy at 2020 Portland protests, report states |publisher=] |date=October 1, 2021 |access-date=November 11, 2021 |first1=Jonathan |last1=Levinson |first2=Conrad |last2=Wilson |archive-date=November 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104151544/https://www.opb.org/article/2021/10/01/senior-homeland-security-leaders-pushed-unfounded-antifa-conspiracy-at-2020-portland-protests-report-states/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

A study by ] found that unsubstantiated claims of antifa involvement were one of three dominant themes in misinformation and conspiracy theories around the protests, alongside claims that Floyd's murder had been faked and claims of involvement by George Soros.<ref name="Alba">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/01/technology/george-floyd-misinformation-online.html |title=Misinformation About George Floyd Protests Surges on Social Media |date=June 1, 2020 |access-date=June 4, 2020 |newspaper=] |first=Davey |last=Alba |archive-date=June 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612150326/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/01/technology/george-floyd-misinformation-online.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Some of the opposition to antifa activism has also been artificial in nature. Nafeesa Syeed of ] reported that "he most-tweeted link in the ] followed by the researchers was a petition to declare Antifa a terrorist group".<ref>{{cite news |first=Nafeesa |last=Syeed |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-01/russia-linked-bots-hone-online-attack-plans-for-2018-u-s-vote |title=Pro-Russian Bots Sharpen Online Attacks for 2018 U.S. Vote |newspaper=Bloomberg.com |agency=] |date=September 1, 2017 |access-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-date=November 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117081122/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-01/russia-linked-bots-hone-online-attack-plans-for-2018-u-s-vote |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Capitol attack (2021) ===
{{Further|John Earle Sullivan#2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol}}
{{2021 United States Capitol attack}}
Immediately after the ], a false claim that it was a false flag operation staged by antifa to implicate Trump supporters was spread by a number of Trump loyalists including Representative ], ], ], California State Senate minority leader ], ], ], former ] ], ] ], actor ], ] and ].<ref>Capitol attack conspiracy theorists:
* {{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/trump-loyalists-push-evidence-free-claims-antifa-activists-fueled-mob-n1253176 |title=Trump loyalists push evidence-free claims that antifa activists fueled mob |date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2021 |work=] |first1=Brandy |last1=Zadrozny |first2=Ben |last2=Collins |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107014141/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/trump-loyalists-push-evidence-free-claims-antifa-activists-fueled-mob-n1253176 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/jan/07/facebook-posts/face-painted-man-horned-fur-cap-capitol-riot-suppo/ |title=A man who stormed the U.S. Capitol in a horned fur cap is an 'Antifa thug.' |date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2021 |work=] |first=Bill |last=McCarthy |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107070126/https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/jan/07/facebook-posts/face-painted-man-horned-fur-cap-capitol-riot-suppo/ |url-status=live}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-mob-capitol/ |title=Were Pro-Trump Mobs Storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 Actually Antifa? |date=January 6, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2021 |work=] |first=Bethania |last=Palma |archive-date=January 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103213555/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-mob-capitol/ |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/01/07/antifa-capitol-gaetz-trump-riot/ |title=Rep. Matt Gaetz and other GOP politicians baselessly suggest antifa is to blame for pro-Trump mob rioting into Capitol |date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2021 |newspaper=] |first=Teo |last=Armus |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107140416/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/01/07/antifa-capitol-gaetz-trump-riot/ |url-status=live}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/lucy-lawless-goes-full-xena-on-kevin-sorbo-for-spreadin-1846019923 |title=Lucy Lawless goes full Xena on Kevin Sorbo for spreading conspiracy theories |date=January 8, 2021 |access-date=January 11, 2021 |work=] |first=Patrick |last=Gomez |archive-date=January 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108183520/https://news.avclub.com/lucy-lawless-goes-full-xena-on-kevin-sorbo-for-spreadin-1846019923 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=demsas/> The conspiracy theory began on ] and similar websites before spreading to more mainstream conservative news sites.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://eu.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2021/01/12/how-antifa-conspiracy-theory-traveled-fringe-floor-congress/6620908002/ |title=How the antifa conspiracy theory traveled from the fringe to the floor of Congress |date=January 13, 2021 |access-date=February 1, 2021 |work=] |first1=Aleszu |last1=Bajak |first2=Javier |last2=Zarracina |archive-date=January 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118153105/https://eu.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2021/01/12/how-antifa-conspiracy-theory-traveled-fringe-floor-congress/6620908002/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Representative ] was the first member of Congress to claim that people associated with antifa were responsible for the attack.<ref name=demsas>{{cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/22217747/republicans-antifa-storm-the-capitol-trump-washington-dc-stop-steal-impeachment-election-hawley-cruz |title=The far right is falsely blaming antifa for the pro-Trump insurrection on Capitol Hill |date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2021 |work=] |first=Jerusalem |last=Demsas |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107011639/https://www.vox.com/22217747/republicans-antifa-storm-the-capitol-trump-washington-dc-stop-steal-impeachment-election-hawley-cruz |url-status=live}}</ref> During Trump's ], his attorney ] stated that "One of the first people arrested was the leader of antifa."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/us/politics/donald-trump-lawyers-fact-check.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/us/politics/donald-trump-lawyers-fact-check.html |archive-date=2021-12-28 |url-access=limited |title=Trump's Lawyers Repeated Inaccurate Claims in Impeachment Trial |first=Linda |last=Qiu |newspaper=] |date=February 13, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In posts on ], leaders of the ] had disclosed plans to attend the rally wearing "all black" clothing associated with antifa activists and arrive "incognito" in an apparent effort to shift blame for any violence on antifa.<ref name="auto41">{{cite news |title=Far-right group Proud Boys claim they will attend January 6 DC rally 'incognito' and wear all-black to blend in with antifa protesters |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/proud-boys-attend-january-6-dc-rally-incognito-all-black-2021-1 |first=Joshua |last=Zitser |periodical=] |publisher=Insider Inc. |date=January 3, 2021 |access-date=January 8, 2021 |archive-date=January 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112220027/https://www.businessinsider.com/proud-boys-attend-january-6-dc-rally-incognito-all-black-2021-1 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://lawandcrime.com/u-s-capitol-siege/proud-boys-spent-weeks-planning-the-u-s-capitol-siege-leader-ethan-nordean-poses-a-serious-risk-of-flight-prosecutors/ |title=Proud Boys Spent Weeks Planning the U.S. Capitol Siege; Leader Ethan Nordean Poses a 'Serious Risk of Flight': Prosecutors |date=February 6, 2021 |access-date=February 8, 2021 |archive-date=February 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212210821/https://lawandcrime.com/u-s-capitol-siege/proud-boys-spent-weeks-planning-the-u-s-capitol-siege-leader-ethan-nordean-poses-a-serious-risk-of-flight-prosecutors/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

A false claim that a ] company had identified participants in the incursion as antifa activists originated in a report by ] published in '']'', and was promoted on the U.S. House floor by Representative ]. ''The Washington Times'' retracted the story and issued a correction the next day.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Mulder |first1=Brandon |title=Fact-check: Did antifa storm Capitol Hill? |work=] |date=January 8, 2021 |url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/politifact/2021/01/08/paxton-cites-false-reports-antifa-claims/6589252002/ |language=en-US |access-date=December 15, 2022 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215201705/https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/politifact/2021/01/08/paxton-cites-false-reports-antifa-claims/6589252002/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The FBI said there was no evidence of antifa involvement in the mob incursion.<ref name="NYT-20210108">{{cite news |last1=Alba |first1=Davey |title=F.B.I. says there is no evidence antifa participated in storming the Capitol. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/2020-election-misinformation-distortions#fbi-says-there-is-no-evidence-antifa-participated-in-storming-the-capitol |date=January 8, 2021 |work=] |access-date=January 9, 2021 |archive-date=October 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009232329/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/2020-election-misinformation-distortions#fbi-says-there-is-no-evidence-antifa-participated-in-storming-the-capitol |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="hmpA7">{{cite news |last1=Zadrozny |first1=Brandy |author1-link=Brandy Zadrozny |title=Trump loyalists push evidence-free claims that antifa activists fueled mob |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/trump-loyalists-push-evidence-free-claims-antifa-activists-fueled-mob-n1253176 |work=] |date=January 6, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107014141/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/trump-loyalists-push-evidence-free-claims-antifa-activists-fueled-mob-n1253176 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="jJg7n">{{cite news |last1=Bajak |first1=Aleszu |title=How the antifa conspiracy theory traveled from the fringe to the floor of Congress |url=https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2021/01/12/how-antifa-conspiracy-theory-traveled-fringe-floor-congress/6620908002/ |newspaper=] |date=January 12, 2021 |access-date=June 23, 2021 |archive-date=February 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216213851/https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2021/01/12/how-antifa-conspiracy-theory-traveled-fringe-floor-congress/6620908002/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="4a602">{{cite news |last1=O'Rourke |first1=Clara |title=No, the FBI didn't confirm antifa activists breached the Capitol |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/jan/08/viral-image/no-fbi-didnt-confirm-antifa-activists-breached-cap/ |publisher=] |date=January 8, 2021 |access-date=June 23, 2021 |archive-date=February 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207040931/https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/jan/08/viral-image/no-fbi-didnt-confirm-antifa-activists-breached-cap/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The conspiracy was also promoted by Republican Senator ].<ref>Michael M. Grynbaum, Davey Alba, and Reid J. Epstein, {{Webarchive|url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/01/us/politics/antifa-conspiracy-capitol-riot.html |date=December 28, 2021}}, ''New York Times'' (March 1, 2021).</ref> A poll released in February 2021 by the ] found that 30% of Americans (including 50% of Republicans and 20% of Democrats) believe antifa was mostly responsible for the violence that happened in the riots at the U.S. Capitol.<ref name="C0fZS">{{Cite web |title=After the ballots are counted: Conspiracies, political violence, and American exceptionalism |url=https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/after-the-ballots-are-counted-conspiracies-political-violence-and-american-exceptionalism/ |access-date=February 19, 2021 |website=The Survey Center on American Life |language=en |archive-date=February 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218235348/https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/after-the-ballots-are-counted-conspiracies-political-violence-and-american-exceptionalism/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="De6rv">{{Cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |title=Analysis {{!}} Half of Republicans say that the Capitol violence was mostly antifa's fault |language=en-US |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/02/11/half-republicans-say-that-capitol-violence-was-mostly-antifas-fault/ |access-date=February 19, 2021 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=February 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214124417/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/02/11/half-republicans-say-that-capitol-violence-was-mostly-antifas-fault/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Analyses and studies ==
Questions on how effective antifa is and whether it is a reasonable response have been raised and discussed by news media.<ref name="Beauchamp 2020"/><ref name="Holland 2018"/><ref name="Wilson 2018">{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Jacon |date=March 19, 2018 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/19/the-alt-right-is-in-decline-has-antifa-activism-worked |title=The alt-right is in decline. Has antifascist activism worked? |newspaper=] |access-date=October 24, 2020 |archive-date=October 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027015538/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/19/the-alt-right-is-in-decline-has-antifa-activism-worked |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hess |first=Amanda |date=August 15, 2017 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/magazine/america-is-struggling-to-sort-out-where-violence-begins-and-ends.html |title=America Is Struggling to Sort Out Where 'Violence' Begins and Ends |newspaper=] |access-date=October 24, 2020 |archive-date=October 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027064635/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/magazine/america-is-struggling-to-sort-out-where-violence-begins-and-ends.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

In relation to the events of the ], a 2018 study conducted by professor of criminology ] on the link between antifa and terrorism concluded that "while the events share many characteristics of terrorist attacks", the actions by antifa supporters during this event "do not include all of the elements of terrorism required by the ]". Whereas it fulfilled the requirements of an action led by "sub-national actors" with "violence or threat of violence", it lacked in particular the "intentionality of the incident", that is the "result of a conscious calculation on the part of the perpetrators." LaFree also questioned "whether antifa can be considered to constitute a 'group' at this point in time" and stressed "how complicated it is to distinguish terrorism from other forms of illegal violence" such as those by antifa supporters.<ref>{{cite journal |last=LaFree |first=Gary |date=2018 |title=Is Antifa a Terrorist Group? |journal=] |volume=55 |issue=3 |pages=248–252 |doi=10.1007/s12115-018-0246-x |s2cid=149530376}}</ref>

In June 2020, the think tank ] (CSIS) assembled a database of 893 terrorism incidents in the United States beginning in 1994.<ref name="Beckett 2020"/><ref name="Ormiston 2017">{{cite web <!-- Citation bot bypass--> |last=Jones |first=Seth G. |author-link=Seth Jones (political scientist) |date=June 4, 2020 |url=https://www.csis.org/analysis/who-are-antifa-and-are-they-threat |title=Who Are Antifa, and Are They a Threat? |website=] |access-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-date=September 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200902100121/https://www.csis.org/analysis/who-are-antifa-and-are-they-threat |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Pasley |first=James |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/right-wing-extremists-kill-329-since-1994-antifa-killed-none-2020-7 |title=Trump frequently accuses the far-left of inciting violence, yet right-wing extremists have killed 329 victims in the last 25 years, while antifa members haven't killed any, according to a new study |work=] |access-date=October 6, 2020 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807052848/https://www.businessinsider.com/right-wing-extremists-kill-329-since-1994-antifa-killed-none-2020-7?IR=T |url-status=live}}</ref> An analysis of the database conducted by '']'' in July 2020 found no murders linked to antifa or anti-fascism since 1994. According to ''The Guardian'', the only death resulting from an anti-fascist attack recorded in the database was that of ], who was shot dead by police while allegedly ] a ] (ICE) detention center in ], in 2019. In contrast, the study highlighted the fact that 329 people were killed by American white supremacists or other right-wing extremists during the same period. ''The Guardian'' quoted Heidi Beirich, a co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, as saying that "Antifa is not going around murdering people like rightwing extremists are. It's a false equivalence. I've at times been critical of antifa for getting into fights with Nazis at rallies and that kind of violence, but I can't think of one case in which an antifa person was accused of murder." ], a counter-terrorism expert who led the creation of the CSIS's database, told ''The Guardian'' that "eftwing violence has not been a major terrorism threat" and that "the most significant domestic terrorism threat comes from white supremacists, anti-government militias and a handful of individuals associated with the ] that are attempting to create a civil war in the United States."<ref name="Beckett 2020">{{cite news |last=Beckett |first=Lois |date=July 27, 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/27/us-rightwing-extremists-attacks-deaths-database-leftwing-antifa |title=Anti-fascists linked to zero murders in the US in 25 years |newspaper=] |access-date=July 28, 2020 |archive-date=July 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727230731/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/27/us-rightwing-extremists-attacks-deaths-database-leftwing-antifa |url-status=live}}</ref>

The CSIS database was updated in October 2020 to include the suspected ] by Michael Reinoehl.<ref name="Beckett 2020"/> In September 2020, when the investigation was still ongoing, Brian Levin said that if Reinoehl was implicated, it would mark the first case in recent history of an antifa supporter being charged with homicide.<ref name="VOA 2020">{{cite news |last=Farivar |first=Masood |date=September 1, 2020 |url=https://www.voanews.com/usa/race-america/antifa-protester-implicated-killing-trump-supporter-oregon |title=Antifa Protester Implicated in Killing of Trump Supporter in Oregon |agency=] |access-date=October 23, 2020 |archive-date=October 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023092544/https://www.voanews.com/usa/race-america/antifa-protester-implicated-killing-trump-supporter-oregon |url-status=live}}</ref> Reinoehl was charged by Portland police with second-degree murder and was later shot and killed by a federally led fugitive task force near ].<ref name="Bernstein 2021">{{cite news |last1=Bernstein |first1=Maxine |title=Michael Reinoehl appeared to target right-wing demonstrator before fatal shooting in Portland, police say |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2020/09/arrest-warrant-against-michael-reinoehl-for-2nd-degree-murder-unlawful-use-of-a-firearm-unsealed.html |access-date=2 April 2021 |work=] |date=5 September 2020 |language=en |quote=Portland police obtained a warrant Thursday afternoon charging Reinoehl with second-degree murder with a weapon and unlawful use of a weapon. |archive-date=March 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314195639/https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2020/09/arrest-warrant-against-michael-reinoehl-for-2nd-degree-murder-unlawful-use-of-a-firearm-unsealed.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="nyt_3sep">{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Mike |last2=Golden |first2=Hallie |last3=Goldman |first3=Adam |date=September 3, 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/us/michael-reinoehl-arrest-portland-shooting.html |title=Suspect in Fatal Portland Shooting Is Killed by Officers During Arrest |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110013525/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/us/michael-reinoehl-arrest-portland-shooting.html |archive-date=November 10, 2021 |work=] |access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref> Reinoehl self-identified as antifa but was not associated with ] or the Portland-based anti-fascist organization Popular Mobilization.<ref name="mNW4r">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/11/02/trump-antifa-movement-portland |title=In the Streets with Antifa |date=October 25, 2020 |access-date=October 31, 2020 |magazine=] |first=Luke |last=Mogelson |archive-date=October 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031080804/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/11/02/trump-antifa-movement-portland |url-status=live}}</ref>

], a US state-owned international radio broadcaster, summarized a report by the ] as stating that "far-left movements such as antifa, while decentralized and seen as less lethal than their counterparts on the far right, are just as capable of turning peaceful protests into violent confrontations with law enforcement". According to Voice of America, "the Justice Department has not charged any left-wing groups in connection with the civil unrest, and extremism experts say while the threat of violence from antifa is real, organized groups on the far right pose a greater threat of violence." Josh Lipowsky, a senior research analyst with the ], stated that "the decentralized antifa movement poses a lesser threat than the better organized groups on the far right."<ref name="Farivar 2020">{{cite news |last=Farivar |first=Masood |date=September 16, 2020 |url=https://www.voanews.com/extremism-watch/anarchist-groups-tied-riots-4-us-cities |title=Anarchist Groups Tied to Riots in 4 US Cities |agency=] |access-date=September 17, 2020 |archive-date=September 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200917083831/https://www.voanews.com/extremism-watch/anarchist-groups-tied-riots-4-us-cities |url-status=live}}</ref>


== See also == == See also ==
* ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ]


== References == == References ==
{{reflist|refs= {{reflist|refs=
<ref name="SeurthWhatIs">{{cite news|last1=Seurth|first1=Jessica|title=What is Antifa?|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/14/us/what-is-antifa-trnd/index.html|accessdate=August 15, 2017|publisher=CNN|date=August 14, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="SeurthWhatIs">{{cite news |last1=Seurth |first1=Jessica |title=What is Antifa?|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/14/us/what-is-antifa-trnd/index.html |access-date=August 15, 2017 |agency=] |date=August 14, 2017 |archive-date=August 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817000152/http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/14/us/what-is-antifa-trnd/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="SavageFight">{{cite news|last1=Savage|first1=Charlie|title=Justice Dept. Demands Data on Visitors to Anti-Trump Website, Sparking Fight|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/us/politics/justice-department-trump-dreamhost-protests.html|accessdate=August 16, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=August 16, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="SavageFight">{{cite news |last1=Savage |first1=Charlie |title=Justice Dept. Demands Data on Visitors to Anti-Trump Website, Sparking Fight |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/us/politics/justice-department-trump-dreamhost-protests.html |access-date=August 16, 2017 |newspaper=] |date=August 16, 2017 |archive-date=August 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816011832/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/us/politics/justice-department-trump-dreamhost-protests.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="ADL page">{{cite web|url=https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounders/who-are-the-antifa|title=Who are the Antifa?|publisher=]|date=2017|accessdate=July 2, 2019}}</ref> <ref name="ADL page">{{cite web |url=https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/who-are-antifa |title=Who are Antifa? |publisher=] |date=2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213095136/https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/who-are-antifa |archive-date=February 13, 2023 |access-date=February 27, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="eewia">{{cite journal|url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2017/08/economist-explains-11|title=What is Antifa?|journal=The Economist|date=July 29, 2017|accessdate=August 15, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="eewia">{{cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2017/08/economist-explains-11 |title=What is Antifa? |newspaper=] |date=July 29, 2017 |access-date=August 15, 2017 |archive-date=August 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817012627/https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2017/08/economist-explains-11 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=bbcantifa>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40930831|title=Antifa: Left-wing militants on the rise|agency=BBC News|last=Cammeron|first=Brenna|date=August 14, 2017|accessdate=November 7, 2017}}</ref> <ref name=bbcantifa>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40930831 |title=Antifa: Left-wing militants on the rise |agency=] |last=Cammeron |first=Brenna |date=August 14, 2017 |access-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-date=May 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521164228/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40930831 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="bbcantifa w quote">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40930831|title=Antifa: Left-wing militants on the rise|work=BBC News|last=Cammeron|first=Brenna|date=August 14, 2017|accessdate=November 7, 2017|quote=Antifa is anti-government and anti-capitalist, and their methodologies are often perceived as more closely aligned with anarchists than the mainstream left.}}</ref> <ref name="bbcantifa w quote">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40930831 |title=Antifa: Left-wing militants on the rise |agency=] |last=Cammeron |first=Brenna |date=August 14, 2017 |access-date=November 7, 2017 |quote=Antifa is anti-government and anti-capitalist, and their methodologies are often perceived as more closely aligned with anarchists than the mainstream left. |archive-date=May 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521164228/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40930831 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="American Antifa ideological lineage">{{cite web|url=http://www.jta.org/2017/08/16/news-opinion/united-states/what-you-need-to-know-about-antifa-the-group-that-fought-white-supremacists-in-charlottesville|title=What you need to know about antifa, the group that fought white supremacists in Charlottesville|last=Sales|first=Ben|date=August 16, 2017|publisher=Jewish Telegraph Agency|accessdate=August 25, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="American Antifa ideological lineage">{{cite news |url=http://www.jta.org/2017/08/16/news-opinion/united-states/what-you-need-to-know-about-antifa-the-group-that-fought-white-supremacists-in-charlottesville |title=What you need to know about antifa, the group that fought white supremacists in Charlottesville |last=Sales |first=Ben |date=August 16, 2017 |agency=] |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-date=August 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826030937/http://www.jta.org/2017/08/16/news-opinion/united-states/what-you-need-to-know-about-antifa-the-group-that-fought-white-supremacists-in-charlottesville |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="Bray intro">{{cite book|publisher=Melville House|isbn=978-1-61219-703-6|last=Bray|first=Mark|title=Antifa: The Antifascist Handbook|year=2017|chapter=Introduction|quote=In the United States, most have been anarchist or antiauthoritarian since the emergence of modern antifa under the name Anti-Racist Action (ARA) in the late eighties.}}</ref> <ref name="Bray intro">{{cite book |location=London |publisher=] |isbn=978-1-61219-703-6 |last=Bray |first=Mark |title=Antifa: The Antifascist Handbook |year=2017 |chapter=Introduction |quote=In the United States, most have been anarchist or antiauthoritarian since the emergence of modern antifa under the name Anti-Racist Action (ARA) in the late eighties.}}</ref>
<ref name="BeinartAtlantic">{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/the-rise-of-the-violent-left/534192/|title=The Rise of the Violent Left|last=Beinart|first=Peter|date=September 6, 2017|accessdate=November 7, 2017|work=The Atlantic}}</ref> <ref name="Beinart 2017">{{cite news |last=Beinart |first=Peter |date=September 6, 2017 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/the-rise-of-the-violent-left/534192/ |title=The Rise of the Violent Left |newspaper=] |access-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813055643/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/the-rise-of-the-violent-left/534192/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="BeinartAtlantic w quote">{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/the-rise-of-the-violent-left/534192/|title=The Rise of the Violent Left|last=Beinart|first=Peter|date=September 6, 2017|accessdate=November 7, 2017|work=The Atlantic|quote= antifa is heavily composed of anarchists .}}</ref> <ref name="ViceBayAreaAntifa">{{cite news |url=https://www.vice.com/en_nz/article/3d9d4k/the-bay-areas-antifa-movements-are-alive-and-well-v24n4 |title=California Anti-Fascists Want Racists and the Trump Administration to Be Afraid |last=Mallett |first=Whitney |date=May 10, 2017 |agency=] |access-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-date=October 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004193436/https://www.vice.com/en_nz/article/3d9d4k/the-bay-areas-antifa-movements-are-alive-and-well-v24n4 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="cnnantifa">{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2017/08/17/antifa-unmasking-anti-facists-orig-nws.cnn |title=Unmasking the leftist Antifa movement |agency=] |date=August 17, 2017 |access-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-date=September 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902100228/http://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2017/08/17/antifa-unmasking-anti-facists-orig-nws.cnn |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="ViceBayAreaAntifa">{{cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en_nz/article/3d9d4k/the-bay-areas-antifa-movements-are-alive-and-well-v24n4|title=California Anti-Fascists Want Racists and the Trump Administration to Be Afraid|last=Mallett|first=Whitney|date=May 10, 2017|work=Vice|accessdate=November 7, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists">{{cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/2017/8/25/16189064/antifa-charlottesville-activism-mark-bray-interview |title='They have no allegiance to liberal democracy': an expert on antifa explains the group |last=Illing |first=Sean |date=August 25, 2017 |website=] |access-date=August 27, 2017 |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828013339/https://www.vox.com/2017/8/25/16189064/antifa-charlottesville-activism-mark-bray-interview |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="cnnantifa">{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2017/08/17/antifa-unmasking-anti-facists-orig-nws.cnn|title=Unmasking the leftist Antifa movement|publisher=CNN|date=August 17, 2017|accessdate=November 7, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists">{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2017/8/25/16189064/antifa-charlottesville-activism-mark-bray-interview|title='They have no allegiance to liberal democracy': an expert on antifa explains the group|last=Illing|first=Sean|date=August 25, 2017|publisher=Vox|accessdate=August 27, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists w quote">{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2017/8/25/16189064/antifa-charlottesville-activism-mark-bray-interview|title='They have no allegiance to liberal democracy': an expert on antifa explains the group|last=Illing|first=Sean|date=August 25, 2017|publisher=Vox|accessdate=August 27, 2017|quote=For the most part, these are pan-leftist groups composed of leftists of different stripes. They all seem to have different views of what they think the ideal social order looks like. Some of them are Marxists, some are Leninists, some are social democrats or anarchists.}}</ref> <ref name="Socialists, Anarchists, and Communists w quote">{{cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/2017/8/25/16189064/antifa-charlottesville-activism-mark-bray-interview |title='They have no allegiance to liberal democracy': an expert on antifa explains the group |last=Illing |first=Sean |date=August 25, 2017 |website=] |access-date=August 27, 2017 |quote=For the most part, these are pan-leftist groups composed of leftists of different stripes. They all seem to have different views of what they think the ideal social order looks like. Some of them are Marxists, some are Leninists, some are social democrats or anarchists. |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828013339/https://www.vox.com/2017/8/25/16189064/antifa-charlottesville-activism-mark-bray-interview |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="Context and timeliness">{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/book-party/wp/2017/09/01/the-history-theory-and-contradictions-of-antifa/|title=The history, theory and contradictions of antifa|last=Lozada|first=Carlos|date=September 1, 2017|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=September 1, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="Context and timeliness">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/book-party/wp/2017/09/01/the-history-theory-and-contradictions-of-antifa/ |title=The history, theory and contradictions of antifa |last=Lozada |first=Carlos |date=September 1, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901201826/https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/book-party/wp/2017/09/01/the-history-theory-and-contradictions-of-antifa/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Context and timeliness w quote">{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/book-party/wp/2017/09/01/the-history-theory-and-contradictions-of-antifa/|title=The history, theory and contradictions of antifa|last=Lozada|first=Carlos|date=September 1, 2017|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=September 1, 2017|quote=And its politics are not just negatory — they also aim to adapt "preexisting socialist, anarchist, and communist currents to a sudden need to react to the fascist menace.}}</ref>
<ref name="Community Organizing">{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.de/what-is-antifa-movement-charlottesville-va-trump-news-2017-8?r=US&IR=T#/#what-is-antifa-1|title=Trump and the right's post-Charlottesville bogeyman is antifa, a movement with a complicated history|work=Business Insider Deutschland|date=August 23, 2017|accessdate=August 28, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="Community Organizing">{{cite news |last=Mark |first=Michelle |date=August 23, 2017 |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-antifa-movement-charlottesville-va-trump-news-2017-8 |title=Trump and the right's post-Charlottesville bogeyman is antifa, a movement with a complicated history |newspaper=] |access-date=September 11, 2020 |postscript=. Updated by Michelle Mark and Connor Perrett to "Trump said he intends to declare antifa as a terrorist organization. Here's what we know about the decades-old, leaderless group." on June 2, 2020. |archive-date=September 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906224017/https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-antifa-movement-charlottesville-va-trump-news-2017-8 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="Beinart">{{cite news|last=Beinart|first=Peter|title=What Trump Gets Wrong About Antifa|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/what-trump-gets-wrong-about-antifa/537048/|accessdate=August 16, 2017|work=The Atlantic|date=August 16, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="Beinart">{{cite news |last=Beinart |first=Peter |title=What Trump Gets Wrong About Antifa |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/what-trump-gets-wrong-about-antifa/537048/ |access-date=August 16, 2017 |newspaper=] |date=August 16, 2017 |archive-date=August 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821010134/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/what-trump-gets-wrong-about-antifa/537048/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="MannUnity">{{cite news|last=Mann|first=Brian|title=Trump Supporter: 'He Called For Unity, I Never Saw Obama Call For Unity'|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/08/13/543259485/trump-supporter-he-called-for-unity-i-never-saw-obama-call-for-unity|accessdate=August 14, 2017|publisher=National Public Radio|date=August 14, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="MannUnity">{{cite news |last=Mann |first=Brian |title=Trump Supporter: 'He Called For Unity, I Never Saw Obama Call For Unity' |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/08/13/543259485/trump-supporter-he-called-for-unity-i-never-saw-obama-call-for-unity |access-date=August 14, 2017 |agency=] |date=August 14, 2017 |archive-date=August 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815065238/http://www.npr.org/2017/08/13/543259485/trump-supporter-he-called-for-unity-i-never-saw-obama-call-for-unity |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="Anarchists & Antifa Relief">{{cite web|url=https://www.democracynow.org/2017/8/30/the_red_cross_wont_save_houston_texas|title=The Red Cross Won't Save Houston. Texas Residents Are Launching Community Relief Efforts Instead|date=August 30, 2017|work=Democracy Now!|accessdate=September 2, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="Anarchists & Antifa Relief">{{cite web |url=https://www.democracynow.org/2017/8/30/the_red_cross_wont_save_houston_texas |title=The Red Cross Won't Save Houston. Texas Residents Are Launching Community Relief Efforts Instead |date=August 30, 2017 |work=] |access-date=September 2, 2017 |archive-date=September 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902233444/https://www.democracynow.org/2017/8/30/the_red_cross_wont_save_houston_texas |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="Antifa are on the ground in Texas helping flooding relief efforts">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/hurricane-harvey-antifa-texas-flooding-antifacist-storm-relief-efforts-a7921846.html|title=Hurricane Harvey: Antifa are on the ground in Texas helping flooding relief efforts|last=Smith|first=Lydia|date=August 31, 2017|work=The Independent|accessdate=September 2, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="Antifa are on the ground in Texas helping flooding relief efforts">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/hurricane-harvey-antifa-texas-flooding-antifacist-storm-relief-efforts-a7921846.html|title=Hurricane Harvey: Antifa are on the ground in Texas helping flooding relief efforts |last=Smith |first=Lydia |date=August 31, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=September 2, 2017|archive-date=September 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904035844/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/hurricane-harvey-antifa-texas-flooding-antifacist-storm-relief-efforts-a7921846.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=dhs_ter>{{cite web|last=Meyer|first=Josh|title=FBI, Homeland Security warn of more 'antifa' attacks|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/01/antifa-charlottesville-violence-fbi-242235|work=Politico|date=September 1, 2017|accessdate=September 1, 2017|archivedate=September 1, 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://archive.fo/20170901095009/http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/01/antifa-charlottesville-violence-fbi-242235|quote=Federal authorities have been warning state and local officials since early 2016 that leftist extremists known as 'antifa' had become increasingly confrontational and dangerous, so much so that the Department of Homeland Security formally classified their activities as 'domestic terrorist violence', according to interviews and confidential law enforcement documents obtained by POLITICO.}}</ref> <ref name=dhs_ter>{{cite news |last=Meyer |first=Josh |title=FBI, Homeland Security warn of more 'antifa' attacks |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/01/antifa-charlottesville-violence-fbi-242235 |newspaper=] |date=September 1, 2017 |access-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170901095009/http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/01/antifa-charlottesville-violence-fbi-242235 |quote=Federal authorities have been warning state and local officials since early 2016 that leftist extremists known as 'antifa' had become increasingly confrontational and dangerous, so much so that the Department of Homeland Security formally classified their activities as 'domestic terrorist violence', according to interviews and confidential law enforcement documents obtained by POLITICO.}}</ref>
<ref name="LennardStreets">{{cite news|last1=Lennard|first1=Natasha|title=Anti-Fascists Will Fight Trump's Fascism in the Streets|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/anti-fascist-activists-are-fighting-the-alt-right-in-the-streets/|accessdate=August 7, 2017|work=The Nation|date=January 19, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="LennardStreets">{{cite news |last1=Lennard |first1=Natasha |title=Anti-Fascists Will Fight Trump's Fascism in the Streets |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/anti-fascist-activists-are-fighting-the-alt-right-in-the-streets/ |access-date=August 7, 2017 |newspaper=] |date=January 19, 2017 |archive-date=August 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815183536/https://www.thenation.com/article/anti-fascist-activists-are-fighting-the-alt-right-in-the-streets/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="StandardWhoIs">{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/who-is-milo-yiannopoulos-everything-you-need-to-know-about-donald-trumps-altright-poster-boy-a3404921.html|first=Phoebe|last=Luckhurst|date=November 25, 2016|work=London Evening Standard|title=Who is Milo Yiannopoulos? Everything you need to know about Donald Trump's alt-Right poster boy|accessdate=November 7, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="StandardWhoIs">{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/who-is-milo-yiannopoulos-everything-you-need-to-know-about-donald-trumps-altright-poster-boy-a3404921.html |first=Phoebe |last=Luckhurst |date=November 25, 2016 |newspaper=] |title=Who is Milo Yiannopoulos? Everything you need to know about Donald Trump's alt-Right poster boy |access-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-date=February 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206154009/http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/who-is-milo-yiannopoulos-everything-you-need-to-know-about-donald-trumps-altright-poster-boy-a3404921.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="SemesterOfHate">{{cite news|title=Behind Berkeley's Semester of Hate|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/education/edlife/antifa-collective-university-california-berkeley.html|first1=Andrew|last1=Beale|first2=Sonner|last2=Kehrt|accessdate=August 7, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=August 4, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="SemesterOfHate">{{cite news |title=Behind Berkeley's Semester of Hate |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/education/edlife/antifa-collective-university-california-berkeley.html |first1=Andrew |last1=Beale |first2=Sonner |last2=Kehrt |access-date=August 7, 2017 |newspaper=] |date=August 4, 2017 |archive-date=May 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506015823/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/education/edlife/antifa-collective-university-california-berkeley.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="SwensonAntifaAttack">{{cite news|last=Swenson|first=Kyle|title=Black-clad antifa attack peaceful right wing demonstrators in Berkeley|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/28/black-clad-antifa-attack-right-wing-demonstrators-in-berkeley/|accessdate=August 28, 2017|work=The Washington Post|date=August 28, 2017}}</ref> <ref name="SwensonAntifaAttack">{{cite news |last=Swenson |first=Kyle |title=Black-clad antifa attack peaceful right wing demonstrators in Berkeley |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/28/black-clad-antifa-attack-right-wing-demonstrators-in-berkeley/ |access-date=August 28, 2017 |newspaper=] |date=August 28, 2017 |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829235735/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/28/black-clad-antifa-attack-right-wing-demonstrators-in-berkeley/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=QiuAltLeft>{{cite news|last1=Qiu|first1=Linda|title=Trump Asks, 'What About the Alt-Left?' Here's an Answer|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/us/politics/trump-alt-left-fact-check.html|accessdate=August 16, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=August 15, 2017}}</ref> <ref name=QiuAltLeft>{{cite news |last1=Qiu |first1=Linda |title=Trump Asks, 'What About the Alt-Left?' Here's an Answer |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/us/politics/trump-alt-left-fact-check.html |access-date=August 16, 2017 |newspaper=] |date=August 15, 2017 |archive-date=August 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816015728/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/us/politics/trump-alt-left-fact-check.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="BowmanRally">{{cite news |last1=Bowman |first1=Emma |title=Scattered Violence Erupts at Large, Left-Wing Berkeley Rally |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/28/546641577/scattered-violence-erupts-at-large-left-wing-berkeley-rally |access-date=August 28, 2017 |agency=] |date=August 28, 2017 |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828063742/http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/28/546641577/scattered-violence-erupts-at-large-left-wing-berkeley-rally |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="StanBeginning">{{cite news|last=Stan|first=Adele|title=White Supremacist Chaos in Charlottesville Is Just the Beginning|url=http://billmoyers.com/story/white-supremacist-chaos-charlottesville-just-beginning|accessdate=August 14, 2017|work=Moyers & Company|date=August 14, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="queally">{{cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-berkeley-protests-20170827-story.html |title=Counter-demonstrators vastly out number Trump supporters at Berkeley rally |first1=James |last1=Queally |first2=Paige |last2=St. John |first3=Benjamin |last3=Oreskes |first4=David |last4=Zahniser |date=August 27, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-date=May 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518152841/https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-berkeley-protests-20170827-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=slate>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/08/what_the_alt_left_was_actually_doing_in_charlottesville.html|title=Yes, What About the "Alt-Left"?|first=Dahlia|last=Lithwick|date=August 16, 2017|work=Slate|accessdate=November 7, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="Noam Chomsky">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/noam-chomsky-antifa-major-gift-right-wing-anti-fascist-alt-left-a7906406.html |title=Noam Chomsky: Antifa is a 'major gift to the right' |last=Oppenheim |first=Maya |newspaper=] |date=August 22, 2017 |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825002700/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/noam-chomsky-antifa-major-gift-right-wing-anti-fascist-alt-left-a7906406.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="BowmanRally">{{cite news|last1=Bowman|first1=Emma|title=Scattered Violence Erupts at Large, Left-Wing Berkeley Rally|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/28/546641577/scattered-violence-erupts-at-large-left-wing-berkeley-rally|accessdate=August 28, 2017|publisher=National Public Radio|date=August 28, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="Pelosi Statement Condemning Antifa Violence in Berkeley">{{cite press release |url=https://www.democraticleader.gov/newsroom/82917|title=Pelosi Statement Condemning Antifa Violence in Berkeley |last=Pelosi |first=Nancy |author-link=Nancy Pelosi |date=August 29, 2017 |publisher=The Office of Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829224007/http://www.democraticleader.gov/newsroom/82917/ |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="queally">{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-berkeley-protests-20170827-story.html|title=Counter-demonstrators vastly out number Trump supporters at Berkeley rally|first1=James|last1=Queally|first2=Paige|last2=St. John|first3=Benjamin|last3=Oreskes|first4=David|last4=Zahniser|date=August 27, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=November 7, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="Laura Ingraham proposes declaring antifa a 'terrorist organization'">{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/348383-laura-ingraham-proposes-declaring-antifa-a-terrorist-organization/ |title=Laura Ingraham proposes declaring antifa a 'terrorist organization' |last=Concha |first=Joe |date=August 29, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830172757/http://thehill.com/homenews/media/348383-laura-ingraham-proposes-declaring-antifa-a-terrorist-organization |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="Bauer">{{cite news|last1=Bauer|first1=Shane|title=Pro-Trump group cancels San Francisco rally as hundreds of counterprotesters march on the streets|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/08/26/a-pro-trump-group-canceled-its-rally-but-san-francisco-prepared-for-violence-anyway|accessdate=July 4, 2018|work=The Washington Post|date=August 25, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="VoxCase">{{cite news |last=Lopez |first=German |date=August 29, 2017 |title=The case against antifa |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/8/29/16216346/antifa-violence |website=] |access-date=November 12, 2018 |archive-date=November 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111074044/https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/8/29/16216346/antifa-violence |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="Mainstream Media Critique">{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/antifa-threat-poisoning-trump-opposition-article-1.3424272|title=Calmer voices on the left must disavow antifa's tactics – or else they will give rhetorical ammunition to Trump|date=August 20, 2017|work=New York Daily News|accessdate=August 25, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name=Salon>{{cite news |last=Maldonado |first=Alessandra |url=http://www.salon.com/2017/08/24/antifa-punchwhitewomen-campaign-revealed-as-4chan-hoax/ |title=Antifa '#PunchWhiteWomen' campaign revealed as 4Chan hoax |website=] |date=August 24, 2017 |access-date=August 30, 2017 |quote=Reportedly, 'alt-right' activists have been using masked Twitter accounts and doctored photos of battered women to run a smear campaign against the antifa movement |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831044121/http://www.salon.com/2017/08/24/antifa-punchwhitewomen-campaign-revealed-as-4chan-hoax/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="Noam Chomsky: Antifa is a 'major gift to the right'">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/noam-chomsky-antifa-major-gift-right-wing-anti-fascist-alt-left-a7906406.html|title=Noam Chomsky: Antifa is a 'major gift to the right'|last=Oppenheim|first=Maya|work=The Independent|date=August 22, 2017|accessdate=August 30, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="Pelosi Statement Condemning Antifa Violence in Berkeley">{{cite web|url=https://www.democraticleader.gov/newsroom/82917|title=Pelosi Statement Condemning Antifa Violence in Berkeley|last=Pelosi|first=Nancy|date=August 29, 2017|website=democraticleader.gov|accessdate=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829224007/http://www.democraticleader.gov/newsroom/82917/|archive-date=August 29, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> <ref name="Far-right smear campaign against Antifa exposed by Bellingcat">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-41036631 |title=Far-right smear campaign against Antifa exposed by Bellingcat |date=August 24, 2017 |agency=] |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-date=August 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824235310/http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-41036631 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="GQ">{{cite news |first1=Ethan |last1=Chiel |access-date=September 11, 2018 |title=Right Wing Publications Can't Stop Getting Duped By Fake Antifa Accounts |url=https://www.gq.com/story/fake-antifa-accounts |newspaper=] |date=August 22, 2017 |archive-date=September 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911225333/https://www.gq.com/story/fake-antifa-accounts |url-status=live}}</ref>
<!-- <ref name="Laura Ingraham proposes declaring antifa a 'terrorist organization'">{{cite web|url=http://thehill.com/homenews/media/348383-laura-ingraham-proposes-declaring-antifa-a-terrorist-organization|title=Laura Ingraham proposes declaring antifa a 'terrorist organization'|last=Concha|first=Joe|date=August 29, 2017|work=The Hill|accessdate=August 30, 2017}}</ref>-->
<ref name="VoxCase">{{cite news|title=The case against antifa|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/8/29/16216346/antifa-violence|website=Vox|accessdate=November 12, 2018|date=August 29, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name=Salon>{{cite news|last=Maldonado|first=Alessandra|url=http://www.salon.com/2017/08/24/antifa-punchwhitewomen-campaign-revealed-as-4chan-hoax/|title=Antifa '#PunchWhiteWomen' campaign revealed as 4Chan hoax|website=Salon|date=August 24, 2017|accessdate=August 30, 2017|quote=Reportedly, 'alt-right' activists have been using masked Twitter accounts and doctored photos of battered women to run a smear campaign against the antifa movement}}</ref>
<ref name="Far-right smear campaign against Antifa exposed by Bellingcat">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-41036631|title=Far-right smear campaign against Antifa exposed by Bellingcat|date=August 24, 2017|agency=BBC News|accessdate=August 25, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="GQ">{{cite news|first1=Ethan|last1=Chiel|accessdate=September 11, 2018|title=Right Wing Publications Can't Stop Getting Duped By Fake Antifa Accounts|url=https://www.gq.com/story/fake-antifa-accounts|newspaper=GQ|date=August 22, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="Neo-Nazis Face a New Foe Online and IRL: the Far-Left Antifa">{{cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/2017/02/neo-nazis-face-new-foe-online-irl-far-left-antifa/|title=Neo-Nazis Face a New Foe Online and IRL: the Far-Left Antifa|last=Ellis|first=Emma Grey|date=February 4, 2017|work=Wired|accessdate=November 7, 2017}}</ref>
}} }}


== Further reading == == Further reading ==
* {{Wikiquote-inline}}
* {{cite book|last1=Coale|first1=Robert S.|year=2016|chapter=From Antifascistas to PAF: Lexical and Political Interpretations of American International Brigaders in Spain during the Second World War|editor-last1=García|editor-first1=Hugo|title=Rethinking Antifascism: History, Memory and Politics, 1922 to the Present|location=New York|publisher=Berghahn Books|pages=187–199|isbn=978-1-78533-139-8}}
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{cite news|last=Jackson|first=Wll|date=June 1, 2020|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-01/trump-has-declared-antifa-a-terrorist-organisation-who-are-they/12307706|title=Donald Trump has declared it a terrorist organisation but what is Antifa anyway?|agency=ABC News|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=June 1, 2020}}
* {{cite journal|last=Vysotsky|first=Stanislav|date=January 2015|title=The Anarchy Police: Militant Anti-Fascism as Alternative Policing Practice|journal=Critical Criminology|volume=23|issue=1|pages=235–253|doi=10.1007/s10612-015-9267-6|s2cid=144331678}}
* {{cite book|author=Green Mountain Anarchist Collective|year=2010|editor-last1=Massot|editor-first1=Xavier|editor-last2=Van Deusen|editor-first2=David|url=http://www.infoshop.org/amp/bgp/BlackBlockPapers2.pdf|title=The Black Bloc Papers: An Anthology of Primary Texts From The North American Anarchist Black Bloc 1988–2005|publisher=Breaking Glass Press|isbn=978-0-9791671-0-2}}
* {{cite news|last=Sunshine|first=Spencer|date=August 5, 2019|url=https://www.thebattleground.eu/articles/2019/08/05/antifa-panic/|title=Antifa Panic: Blaming the Left for Terrorism|website=The Battleground|accessdate=June 1, 2020}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Antifa logo}}


{{white nationalism}} {{white nationalism}}
{{Portal bar|Anarchism|Communism|Free speech|Socialism|Society}} {{Portal bar|Anarchism|Communism|Free speech|Socialism|Society}}
{{authority control}} {{authority control}}

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Latest revision as of 14:48, 7 December 2024

Anti-fascist political activist movement

Antifa
Symbol commonly used by antifa depicting an anarchist flag overlaying a socialist flag, based on the logo of the German antifa movement
CountryUnited States
Motives
IdeologyAnti-fascism
Anti-authoritarianism
Anti-capitalism
Anti-statism
Anti-Trumpism
Anarchism
Socialism
Communism
Political positionLeft-wing
Major actionsDirect action
Community organizing
Mutual aid
Harassment
Digital activism
Doxing
Picketing
Political violence
Protest marching
Rioting
Looting
StatusActive
Part of a series on
Anti-fascism
InterwarEthiopia

Central Europe

Germany

Italy

Spain (Spanish Civil War)

World War IIResistance during World War II

Albania

Austria

Baltic states

Belgium

Bulgaria

Burma

Czechia

Denmark

France

Germany

Greece

Italy

Japan

Jewish

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Romania

Slovakia

Spain

Soviet Union

Yugoslavia

PostwarPost–World War II anti-fascism (denazification)

Germany

Italy

Netherlands

Portugal

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

United States

Music and culture
Tactics and methods
See also

Antifa (/ænˈtiːfə, ˈæntifə/) is a left-wing anti-fascist and anti-racist political movement in the United States. It consists of a highly decentralized array of autonomous groups that use nonviolent direct action, incivility, or violence to achieve their aims. Antifa political activism includes non-violent methods such as poster and flyer campaigns, mutual aid, speeches, protest marches, and community organizing. Some who identify as antifa also use tactics involving digital activism, doxing, harassment, physical violence, and property damage. Supporters of the movement aim to combat far-right extremists, including neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

Individuals involved in the movement subscribe to a range of left-wing ideologies, and tend to hold anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalist, and anti-state views. A majority of individuals involved are anarchists, communists, and socialists, although some social democrats also participate in the antifa movement. The name antifa and the logo with two flags representing anarchism and communism are derived from the German antifa movement. Dartmouth College historian Mark Bray, author of Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook, credits Anti-Racist Action (ARA) as the precursor of modern antifa groups in the United States.

The American antifa movement grew after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States in 2016. Antifa activists' actions have since received support and criticism from various organizations and pundits. Some on the political left and some civil rights organizations criticize antifa's willingness to adopt violent tactics, which they describe as counterproductive and dangerous, arguing that these tactics embolden the political right and their allies. Both Democratic and Republican politicians have condemned violence from antifa. Many right-wing politicians and groups have characterized antifa as a domestic terrorist organization or use antifa as a catch-all term for any left-leaning or liberal protest actions. Some scholars claim that antifa is a legitimate response to the rise of the far-right. Scholars tend to reject an equivalence between antifa and right-wing extremism. Research suggests that most antifa action is nonviolent.

There have been numerous efforts to discredit antifa by various right-wing groups and individuals. Some have been done via hoaxes on social media, many of them false flag operations originating from alt-right and 4chan users posing as antifa backers on Twitter; some hoaxes have been picked up and portrayed as fact by right-leaning media and politicians. There were repeated calls by Donald Trump and William Barr to designate antifa as a terrorist organization. Academics, legal experts, and others have argued such an action would exceed the authority of the presidency and violate the First Amendment. Several analyses, reports, and studies have concluded that antifa is not a major domestic terrorism risk.

Definition

The English word antifa is a loanword from the German Antifa, where it is a shortened form of the word antifaschistisch ("anti-fascist") and a nickname of Antifaschistische Aktion (1932–1933), a short-lived group which inspired the wider antifa movement in Germany. The German word Antifa itself first appeared in 1930 and the long form antifaschistisch was borrowed from the original Italian anti-Fascisti ("anti-fascists"). Oxford Dictionaries placed antifa on its shortlist for word of the year in 2017 and stated the word "emerged from relative obscurity to become an established part of the English lexicon over the course of 2017."

The pronunciation of the word in English is not settled as it may be stressed on either the first or the second syllable.

According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) the term antifa "is often misapplied to include all counter-protesters".

During the Trump administration, the term antifa became "a conservative catch-all" term as Donald Trump, administration officials, Trump base supporters, and right-wing commentators applied the label to all sorts of left-leaning or liberal protest actions. Conservative writers such as L. Brent Bozell III associated the tactics of Black Lives Matter with those of antifa. Politico reported that "the term is a potent one for conservatives" because "t's the violent distillation of everything they fear could come to pass in an all-out culture war. And it's a quick way to brand part of the opposition." Alexander Reid Ross, who teaches at Portland State University, argues that the popularization of the term antifa was a reaction to the popularization of the term alt-right, "to the point where simply describes people who are anti-fascist or people who are against racism and are willing to protest against it."

Movement structure and ideology

Anti-fascists with banner reading "good night white pride"

Antifa is not a unified organization but rather a movement without a hierarchical leadership structure, comprising multiple autonomous groups and individuals. The movement is loosely affiliated and has no chain of command, with antifa groups instead sharing "resources and information about far-right activity across regional and national borders through loosely knit networks and informal relationships of trust and solidarity." According to Mark Bray, "members hide their political activities from law enforcement and the far right" and "concerns about infiltration and high expectations of commitment keep the sizes of groups rather small."

Bray adds that "t's important to understand that antifa politics, and antifa's methods, are designed to stop white supremacists, fascists, and neo-Nazis as easily as possible." According to research by both Bray and scholar Stanislav Vysotsky, antifa methods are mostly nonviolent; analysis by the Anti-Defamation League has reached the same conclusion. According to Bray, "they function in some ways like private investigators; they track neo-Nazi organizing across multiple social-media platforms." In regard to doxing, Bray says that it is about "telling people that they have a Nazi living down the street, or telling employers that they're employing white supremacists", adding that "after Charlottesville, a lot of the repercussions that these khaki-wearing, tiki-torch white supremacists faced were their employers firing them and their families repudiating what they do."

Activists typically organize protests via social media and through websites. Some activists have built peer-to-peer networks, or use encrypted-texting services like Signal. Chauncey Devega of Salon described antifa as an organizing strategy, not a group of people. According to a member of a New York City antifa group, their group's identification research on whether an individual or group is "fascist, Alt Right, White Nationalist, etc." is "based on which groups they are a part of and endorse." While noting that "Nazis, fascists, white nationalists, anti-Semites and Islamophobes" are specific overlapping categories, the main focus is "on groups and individuals which endorse, or work directly in alliance with, white supremacists and white separatists. We try to be very clear and precise with how we use these terms." According to terrorism experts Colin Clarke and Michael Kenney, writing in War on the Rocks, direct actions such as anti-Trump protests, demonstrations against the alt-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos and the clash with neo-Nazis and white supremacists at the Unite the Right rally "reflects many Antifa supporters' belief that Trump is a fascist demagogue who threatens the existence of America's pluralistic, multi-racial democracy. This factor helps explain why such Antifa supporters are so quick to label the president's 'Make America Great Again' supporters as fascists — and why Trump is so quick to label Antifa as a terrorist organization."

The antifa movement grew after the 2016 United States presidential election. As of August 2017, approximately 200 groups existed, of varying sizes and levels of activity. It is particularly active in the Pacific Northwest, such as in Portland, Oregon.

Individuals involved in the antifa movement tend to hold anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalist, anti-fascist, and anti-state views, subscribing to a varied range of left-wing ideologies. A majority of adherents are anarchists, communists, and other socialists who describe themselves as revolutionaries, although some social democrats and others on the American Left, among them environmentalists, LGBT and indigenous rights advocates, also adhere to the antifa movement. According to professor of journalism and political science at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, Peter Beinart, "antifa is heavily composed of anarchists" and "its activists place little faith in the state, which they consider complicit in fascism and racism." Antifa activists' ideologies, as well as their involvement in violent actions against far-right opponents and the police has led some scholars and news media to characterize the movement as far-left and militant.

In his article "The Rise of the Violent Left" for The Atlantic, Beinart writes that antifa activists "prefer direct action: They pressure venues to deny white supremacists space to meet. They pressure employers to fire them and landlords to evict them. And when people they deem racists and fascists manage to assemble, antifa's partisans try to break up their gatherings, including by force." According to historian Mark Bray, an expert on the movement, the "vast majority of anti-fascist organizing is nonviolent. But their willingness to physically defend themselves and others from white supremacist violence and preemptively shut down fascist organizing efforts before they turn deadly distinguishes them from liberal anti-racists."

Described as a pan-leftist and non-hierarchical movement, antifa is united by opposition to right-wing extremism and white supremacy. Antifa activists reject both conservative and liberal anti-fascism. The antifa movement generally eschews mainstream liberal democracy, having "an illiberal disdain for the confines of mainstream politics", and favoring direct action over electoral politics. Bray states that "he vast majority of antifa militants are radical anti-capitalists who oppose the Democratic Party" and that Democratic Party leaders, including Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden, have condemned antifa and political violence more broadly. Despite antifa's opposition to the Democratic Party and liberalism, some right-wing commentators have accused their adherents of being aided by "liberal sympathizers" and "affiliated with the Democratic Party" as well as being "a single organization", "funded by liberal financiers like George Soros", "mastermind violence at Black Lives Matter protests", and that "Antifascists are the 'real fascists'", with Bray citing these as examples of five myths about antifa.

The ADL states that "ost antifa come from the anarchist movement or from the far left, though since the 2016 presidential election, some people with more mainstream political backgrounds have also joined their ranks." Similarly, Bray argues that "t's also important to remember that these are self-described revolutionaries. They're anarchists and communists who are way outside the traditional conservative-liberal spectrum." ABC News notes that "hile antifa's political leanings are often described as 'far-left,' experts say members' radical views vary and can intersect with communism, socialism and anarchism." According to CNN, "Antifa is short for anti-fascists. The term is used to define a broad group of people whose political beliefs lean toward the left -- often the far left -- but do not conform with the Democratic Party platform." The BBC notes that, "as their name indicates, Antifa focuses more on fighting far-right ideology than encouraging pro-left policy." Beinart argues that the election of Donald Trump vitalized the antifa movement and some on the mainstream left were more willing to support them as a tactical opposition.

History

Background

Further information: Post-World War II anti-fascism Logo of Antifaschistische Aktion, the militant anti-fascist network in 1930s Germany that inspired the antifa movementA variant of the logo on a flag held by a counter-protester at one of the several March 4 Trump demonstrations in Washington, D.C. in 2017

When Italian dictator Benito Mussolini consolidated power under his National Fascist Party in the mid-1920s, an oppositional anti-fascist movement surfaced both in Italy and countries such as the United States. Many anti-fascist leaders in the United States were anarchist, socialist, and syndicalist émigrés from Italy with experience in labor organizing and militancy. Ideologically, antifa in the United States sees itself as the successor to anti-Nazi activists of the 1930s. European activist groups that originally organized to oppose World War II-era fascist dictatorships re-emerged in the 1970s and 1980s to oppose white supremacy and skinheads, eventually spreading to the United States.

Modern antifa politics can be traced to opposition to the infiltration of Britain's punk scene by white power skinheads in the 1970s and 1980s, and the emergence of neo-Nazism in Germany following the fall of the Berlin Wall. In Germany, young leftists, including anarchists and punk fans, renewed the practice of street-level anti-fascism. Peter Beinart writes that "n the late '80s, left-wing punk fans in the United States began following suit, though they initially called their groups Anti-Racist Action, on the theory that Americans would be more familiar with fighting racism than they would be with fighting fascism."

Dartmouth College historian Mark Bray, author of Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook, credits Anti-Racist Action (ARA) as the precursor of modern antifa groups in the United States. In the late 1980s and 1990s, ARA activists toured with popular punk rock and skinhead bands in order to prevent Klansmen, neo-Nazis and other assorted white supremacists from recruiting. Their motto was "We go where they go", by which they meant that they would confront far-right activists in concerts and actively remove their materials from public places. In 2002, ARA disrupted a speech in Pennsylvania by Matthew F. Hale, the head of the white supremacist group World Church of the Creator, resulting in a fight and 25 arrests.

In 2007, Rose City Antifa, likely the first group to utilize the name antifa, was formed in Portland, Oregon by former ARA members. Other antifa groups in the United States have other genealogies. In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a group called the Baldies was formed in 1987 with the intent to fight neo-Nazi groups directly. In 2013, the "most radical" chapters of ARA formed the Torch Antifa Network, which has chapters throughout the United States. Other antifa groups are a part of different associations such as NYC Antifa or operate independently.

Activities

According to Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at the California State University, San Bernardino, antifa activists feel the need to participate in violent actions because "they believe that elites are controlling the government and the media. So they need to make a statement head-on against the people who they regard as racist." Historian Mark Bray wrote that the adherents "reject turning to the police or the state to halt the advance of white supremacy. Instead they advocate popular opposition to fascism as we witnessed in Charlottesville." The idea of direct action is central to the antifa movement. Former antifa organizer Scott Crow told an interviewer:

The idea in Antifa is that we go where they (right-wingers) go. That hate speech is not free speech. That if you are endangering people with what you say and the actions that are behind them, then you do not have the right to do that. And so we go to cause conflict, to shut them down where they are, because we don't believe that Nazis or fascists of any stripe should have a mouthpiece.

A manual posted on It's Going Down, an anarchist website, warns against accepting "people who just want to fight". Furthermore, the website notes that "physically confronting and defending against fascists is a necessary part of anti-fascist work, but is not the only or even necessarily the most important part."

Antifascist activists with a modified anarchist red and black flag and a transgender pride flag containing the hammer and sickle in a 2017 protest

According to Beinart, antifa activists "try to publicly identify white supremacists and get them fired from their jobs and evicted from their apartments" and also "disrupt white-supremacist rallies, including by force." A book review in The Washington Post reported that "Antifa tactics include 'no platforming,' i.e. denying their targets the opportunity to speak out in public; obstructing their events and defacing their propaganda; and, when antifa activists deem it necessary, deploying violence to deter them." According to National Public Radio, antifa's "approach is confrontational" and "people who speak for the Antifa movement acknowledge they sometimes carry clubs and sticks." CNN describes antifa as "known for causing damage to property during protests." Scott Crow says that antifa adherents believe that property destruction does not "equate to violence". According to the Los Angeles Times, antifa protesters have engaged in "mob violence, attacking a small showing of supporters of President Trump and others they accused, sometimes inaccurately, of being white supremacists or Nazis." Antifa activists also used clubs and dyed liquids against white supremacists in Charlottesville. Media have reported on specific instances of antifa protesters harassing or attacking journalists or causing damage to their equipment, while they were documenting protests — namely reporters of The Washington Post, a contributor to VICE and Reuters, and others. According to The Kansas City Star, police asked persons carrying firearms (including both antifa members and members of the far-right militia movement group Three Percenters) at a September 2017 rally in Kansas City to remove ammunition from their weapons.

Apart from the other activities, antifa activists engage in mutual aid such as disaster response in the case of Hurricane Harvey. According to Natasha Lennard in The Nation, antifa groups as of January 2017 were working with interfaith groups and churches "to create a New Sanctuary Movement, continuing and expanding a 40-year-old practice of providing spaces for refugees and immigrants."

Antifa activists often use the black bloc tactic in which people dress in black and cover their faces in order to thwart surveillance and create a sense of equality and solidarity among participants. Antifa activists wear masks to hide their "identity from protestors on the other side (who might dox people they disagree with) or from police and cameras" and for philosophical reasons such as the beliefs that "hierarchies are bad and that remaining anonymous helps keep one's ego in check." Joseph Bernstein from BuzzFeed News says that antifa activists also wear masks because "they fear retribution from the far right and the cops, whom they believe are sympathetic if not outright supportive to fascists."

When antifa became prominent in the news during the George Floyd protests and was under attack for being responsible for much, if not most of the violence, a report in Vox stated that "embers of antifa groups do more conventional activism, flyer campaigns, and community organizing, on behalf of anti-racist and anti-white nationalist causes", quoting Mark Bray as saying that this was the "vast majority" of what they did. In July 2020, The Guardian reported that "a California-based organizer and anti-fascist activist" stated she saw "Trump's claims about antifa violence, particularly during the George Floyd protests, as a message to his 'hardcore' supporters that it was appropriate to attack people who came out to protest." In August 2020, many small business owners interviewed by The New York Times in what was the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in Seattle blamed people they identified as antifa for much of the violence and intimidation of their patrons while distinguishing antifa from Black Lives Matter.

Notable actions

Along with black bloc activists, antifa groups were among those who protested the 2016 election of Donald Trump. Antifa activists also participated in the February 2017 Berkeley protests against alt-right provocateur speaker Milo Yiannopoulos, where antifa gained mainstream attention, with media reporting antifa protesters "throwing Molotov cocktails and smashing windows" and causing $100,000 worth of damage.

In August 2017, antifa counter-protesters at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, reported The New York Times, "used clubs and dyed liquids against the white supremacists." Groups preparing to protest the Boston Free Speech Rally saw their plans become viral following the violence in Charlottesville. The event drew a largely peaceful crowd of 40,000 counter-protesters. In The Atlantic, McKay Coppins stated that the 33 people arrested for violent incidents were "mostly egged on by the minority of 'Antifa' agitators in the crowd."

President Trump described the protesters outside his August 2017 rally in Phoenix, Arizona as "antifa".

Antifa rally at Berkeley protests on August 27, 2017

During the Berkeley protests on August 27, 2017, an estimated one hundred antifa and anarchist protesters joined a crowd of 2,000–4,000 other protesters to confront alt-right demonstrators and Trump supporters who showed up for a "Say No to Marxism" rally that had been cancelled by organizers due to security concerns. Following the incident, Jesse Arreguin, the mayor of Berkeley, suggested classifying the city's antifa as a gang.

Protesters hold an antifa banner in Minneapolis on February 18, 2017

In November 2018, police investigated a left-wing group associated with antifa, Smash Racism D.C., following a protest by 12-20 people outside the home of The Daily Caller founder Tucker Carlson, who they accused of being a racist and white supremacist. Activists of the group defaced the driveway of Carlson's property by spray-painting an anarchist symbol on it.

Public reactions

Academics, scholars and activists

Historian Mark Bray, who has studied the antifa movement, stated that "iven the historical and current threat that white supremacist and fascist groups pose, it's clear to me that organized, collective self-defense is not only a legitimate response, but lamentably an all-too-necessary response to this threat on too many occasions." Alexander Reid Ross, a lecturer in geography and an author on the contemporary right, has argued that antifa groups represented "one of the best models for channeling the popular reflexes and spontaneous movements towards confronting fascism in organized and focused ways."

Historian and Dissent magazine editor Michael Kazin wrote that "on-leftists often see the left as a disruptive, lawless force. Violence tends to confirm that view." Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat was "worried that antifa's methods could feed into what she said were false equivalencies that seek to lump violence on the left with attacks by the right." Ben-Ghiat argued that "hrowing a milkshake is not equivalent to killing someone, but because the people in power are allied with the right, any provocation, any dissent against right-wing violence, backfires", with the effect that "ilitancy on the left" can "become a justification for those in power and allies on the right to crack down" on the left.

Peter Beinart, a professor of journalism and political science, wrote that "ntifa believes it is pursuing the opposite of authoritarianism. Many of its activists oppose the very notion of a centralized state. But in the name of protecting the vulnerable, antifascists have granted themselves the authority to decide which Americans may publicly assemble and which may not. That authority rests on no democratic foundation. The people preventing Republicans from safely assembling on the streets of Portland may consider themselves fierce opponents of the authoritarianism growing on the American right. In truth, however, they are its unlikeliest allies."

Anti-racist public intellectual Cornel West, who attended a counter-protest to the Unite the Right rally, said in an interview that "we would have been crushed like cockroaches if it were not for the anarchists and the anti-fascists", describing a situation where a group of 20 counter-protesters were surrounded by marchers whom he described as "neofascists".

Veteran radical activist Noam Chomsky described antifa as "a major gift to the right", arguing that "the movement was self-destructive and constituted a tiny faction on the periphery of the left." Eleanor Penny, an author on fascism and the far-right, argued against Chomsky that "physical resistance has time and again protected local populations from racist violence, and prevented a gathering caucus of fascists from making further inroads into mainstream politics". Natasha Lennard has argued against Chomsky and others, citing Richard B. Spencer's suspension of his college tour in March 2018, as "a sharp rebuttal to the glut of claims that antifa practices serve as a gift to the far right."

Civil rights organizations

In 2020, the ADL said that while there have been hundreds of murders by far-right groups in the last few decades, there has only been one suspected antifa-related murder.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), designating antifa as a domestic terrorist organization is dangerous and a threat to civil liberties. The SPLC also reported that antifa members "have been involved in skirmishes and property crimes, 'but the threat of lethal violence pales in comparison to that posed by far-right extremists.'"

Law enforcement and officials

In June 2017, the antifa movement was linked to "anarchist extremism" by the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. This assessment was replaced with one in 2019 which states that "Antifa is a movement that focuses on issues involving racism, sexism, and anti-Semitism, as well as other perceived injustices. The majority of Antifa members do not promote or endorse violence; however, the movement consists of anarchist extremists and other individuals who seek to carry out acts of violence in order to forward their respective agendas." In September 2017, Politico obtained confidential documents and interviews indicating that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) believed that "anarchist extremists" were the primary instigators of violence at public rallies against a range of targets in April 2016.

In July 2020, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, who had stated in a press release on June 4 that "anarchists like Antifa" are "exploiting this situation to pursue violent, extremist agendas", testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee that the agency "considers antifa more of an ideology than an organization" which was later reiterated the same year in a September 17 remark to lawmakers. This contradicted President Trump's remarks about antifa and put Wray at odds with the Trump administration. According to the Associated Press, Wray "did not dispute that antifa activists were a serious concern", stating that antifa was a "real thing" and that the FBI had undertaken "any number of properly predicated investigations into what we would describe as violent anarchist extremists", including into individuals who identify with antifa, whom the FBI identified as "a movement or an ideology" rather than as "a group or an organization". Wray stated that "racially motivated violent extremists, such as white supremacists, have been responsible for the most lethal attacks in the U.S. in recent years", although "this year the most lethal violence has come from anti-government activists, such as anarchists and militia-types."

Three August 2020 DHS draft reports did not mention antifa as a domestic terrorism risk and ranked white supremacy as the top risk, higher than that of foreign terrorist groups.

Members of Congress

On August 29, 2017, Nancy Pelosi, then House Minority Leader for the Democratic Party, condemned the violence of antifa activists in Berkeley.

In July 2019, Republican Senators Bill Cassidy and Ted Cruz introduced a nonbinding resolution that would designate antifa a domestic terrorist organization.

In June 2020, Republican Senator Tom Cotton advocated using military force to quell nationwide protests against police brutality and racism, calling for the 101st Airborne Division to be deployed to combat what he called "Antifa terrorists". Cruz accused "Antifa protesters" of "organizing these acts of terror" and called for "systematic law enforcement targeting Antifa and other terrorist groups".

In September 2020, Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden also condemned antifa violent actions, having already condemned violence across the political spectrum and expressed his support for peaceful protests.

Trump administration

In August 2017, a petition was lodged with the White House petitioning system We the People calling upon President Donald Trump to formally classify "AntiFa" as terrorist. The White House responded in 2018 that federal law does not have a mechanism for formally designating domestic terrorist organizations. The writer of the petition later stated he had created it to "bring our broken right side together" and to "prop up antifa as a punching bag".

In 2017, Politico interviewed unidentified law enforcement officials who noted a rise in activity since the beginning of the Trump administration, particularly a rise in recruitment and on the part of the far right as well since the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally. One internal assessment acknowledged an inability to penetrate the groups' "diffuse and decentralized organizational structure". By 2017, the FBI and the DHS reported that they were monitoring suspicious antifa activity in relation to terrorism.

During the nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd in May and June 2020, Attorney General William Barr blamed the violence on "anarchic and far left extremist groups using Antifa-like tactics" and described the actions of "Antifa and other similar groups" as "domestic terrorism", echoing similar statements by National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien. In Twitter posts and other statements, Trump blamed "ANTIFA and the Radical Left" for violence and repeatedly pledged that the federal government would designate antifa as a "Terrorist Organization". However, Trump lacks the authority to do so because under existing law the federal government may designate only foreign organizations as terrorist and antifa is a loosely associated movement rather than a specific organization. Legal experts, among others, believe that designating antifa as a terrorist group would be unconstitutional, raising First Amendment and due process issues. According to historian Mark Bray, antifa cannot be designated as a terrorist organization because "he groups are loosely organized, and they aren't large enough to cause everything Trump blames them for." In addition, Bray argued that the political right has attempted to "blame everything on antifa" during the George Floyd protests and that in assuming antifa to be "predominantly white", it "evince a kind of racism that assumes that black people couldn't organize on this deep and wide of a scale."

On June 2, 2020, The Nation reported on a copy of an FBI Washington Field Office internal situation report it had obtained which stated that the FBI had "no intelligence indicating Antifa involvement/presence" in the violent May 31 D.C.-area protests. Two days later, Barr claimed that "e have evidence that antifa and other similar extremist groups, as well as actors of a variety of different political persuasions have been involved in instigating and participating in the violent activity." However, the Trump administration has provided no evidence for its claims and there is no evidence that antifa-aligned individuals played a role in instigating the protests or violence, or that antifa played a significant role in the protests. According to Bray, while "confident that some members of antifa groups have participated in a variety of forms of resistance" during the protests, it is "impossible to ascertain the exact number of people who belong to antifa groups." As of June 9, 2020, none of the 51 people facing federal charges were alleged to have links to antifa. As of September 16, 2020, no antifa or left-wing group has been charged in connection with the civil unrest.

In an August 2020 interview, Trump asserted "people that are in the dark shadows" control his Democratic presidential opponent Joe Biden and then claimed that "we had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs, wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms, with gear and this and that", adding that "they're people that are on the streets. They're people that are controlling the streets." Antifa activists commonly dress in black. Trump's remarks were similar to false social media rumors during preceding months that planes and buses full of antifa gangs were preparing to invade communities, allegedly funded by George Soros. Two days after Trump's remarks, Barr asserted he knew antifa activists "are flying around the country" and "we are following them". However, there is no evidence of any such flight. According to Reuters, "aw enforcement, intelligence and Congressional officials familiar with official reporting on weeks of protests and related arrests said on Tuesday they were aware of no incidents or reports that would confirm Trump's anecdote."

In a September 2020 whistleblower complaint, Brian Murphy, who was the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis until August 2020, asserted that DHS secretary Chad Wolf and his deputy Ken Cuccinelli instructed him "to modify intelligence assessments to ensure they matched up with the public comments by President Trump on the subject of ANTIFA and 'anarchist' groups." On September 18, 2020, Trump publicly criticized FBI Director Christopher A. Wray and hinted that he could fire him over Wray's testimony about antifa and Russian interference in the 2020 United States elections.

On September 25, 2020, the Trump campaign released details of a "Platinum Plan for Black America", under which "Antifa" and the Ku Klux Klan would be prosecuted as terrorist organizations.

Hoaxes and conspiracy theories

Conspiracy theories about antifa that tend to incorrectly portray antifa as a single organization with leaders and secret sources of funding have been spread by right-wing activists, media organizations and politicians, including Trump administration officials and the 2020 Trump campaign.

#PunchWhiteWomen (2017)

In August 2017, a #PunchWhiteWomen photo hoax campaign was spread by fake antifa Twitter accounts. Bellingcat researcher Eliot Higgins discovered an image of British actress Anna Friel portraying a battered woman in a 2007 Women's Aid anti-domestic violence campaign that had been re-purposed using fake antifa Twitter accounts organized by way of 4chan. The image is captioned "53% of white women voted for Trump, 53% of white women should look like this" and includes an antifa flag. Another image featuring an injured woman is captioned "She chose to be a Nazi. Choices have consequences" and includes the hashtag #PunchANazi. Higgins remarked to the BBC that "his was a transparent and quite pathetic attempt, but I wouldn't be surprised if white nationalist groups try to mount more sophisticated attacks in the future". A similar fake image circulated on social media after the Unite the Right rally in 2017. The doctored image, actually from a 2009 riot in Athens, was altered to make it look like someone wearing an antifa symbol attacking a policeman with a flag. After the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, similar hoaxes falsely claimed that the shooter was an antifa "member"; another such hoax involved a fake antifa Twitter account praising the shooting. Another high-profile fake antifa account was banned from Twitter after it posted with a geotag originating in Russia. Such fake antifa accounts have been repeatedly reported on as real by right-leaning media outlets.

"Antifa civil war" (2017)

In October 2017, a conspiracy theory claiming that antifa groups were planning a violent insurrection or civil war the following month spread on YouTube and was advanced by far-right figures including Alex Jones, Lucian Wintrich, Paul Joseph Watson, and Steven Crowder. The basis for the conspiracy theory was a series of protests against Donald Trump organized by the group Refuse Fascism. The protests passed off as planned without causing significant disruption.

"Antifa Manual" (2017)

A fake "Antifa Manual" has circulated online, debunked by Snopes in 2017. According to the ADL, the language used in the document appears designed to sow division and features many statements that do not align with the sentiments of anti-fascist organizers, often clumsily mimicking "left wing" rhetoric. The same images continued to be shared on social media in posts about the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, including a Twitter post by alt-lite conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec.

8chan list (2018)

This section is an excerpt from 8chan § Louisiana Police's antifa list. In September 2018, the Louisiana State Police were scrutinized for using a hoax list of personal information about supposed antifa activists originally posted on 8chan's politics board. The document, dubbed "full list of antifa.docx" by police officers, actually contained the names of several thousand people who signed online petitions against then President Donald Trump. The State Police has refused to disclose the list, claiming it would "compromise" ongoing criminal investigations in which it expects arrests. A lawsuit against Louisiana State Police was filed on behalf of the record requester by Harvard lecturer and former public defender Thomas Frampton, alleging that the Police's refusal to release the list indicates that it actually believed the credibility of the hoax list and used it in investigations and litigations.

George Floyd protests (2020)

Further information: George Floyd protests § Conspiracy theories

During the nationwide George Floyd protests against police brutality and racism in May and June 2020, false claims of impending antifa activity circulated through social media platforms, causing alarm in at least 41 towns and cities. On May 31, 2020, @ANTIFA_US, a newly created Twitter account, attempted to incite violence relating to the protests. The next day, after determining that it was linked to the white nationalist group Identity Evropa, Twitter suspended the fake account. The FBI's Washington Field Office report stated that members of a far-right group on social media had "called for far-right provocateurs to attack federal agents, use automatic weapons against protesters" during the D.C.-area protests over Floyd's murder on May 31, 2020.

Conservative news organizations, pro-Trump individuals using social media, and impostor social media accounts propagated false rumors that antifa groups were traveling to small cities, suburbs, and rural communities to instigate unrest during the protests. In May and June 2020, Lara Logan repeatedly promoted hoaxes as part of Fox News' coverage of antifa, including publishing a false document she described as an antifa battle plan and claiming that a joke about juggalos was evidence of a clandestine antifa hierarchy. In an appearance on Fox News's The Ingraham Angle in June 2020, Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani claimed that "Antifa" as well as "Black Lives Matter" and unspecified communists were working together to "do away with our system of courts" and "take your property away and give it to other people", asserting without evidence that they receive significant funding from an outside source. Giuliani had previously criticized George Soros, who has been a frequent target of conspiracy theories, claiming he funded such groups and demonstrations.

In June, 2020, the California Highway Patrol's air unit launched a search for "antifa buses" in response to Instagram and Facebook posts showing a van with the slogan "Black Lives Matter" written on it. Later in June 2020, a multiracial family on a camping trip in Forks, Washington, were accused of being antifa activists, harassed and trapped in their campsite when trees were felled to block the road. In Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, groups of armed right-wing vigilantes occupied streets in response to false rumors that antifa activists were planning to travel to the city while similar rumors led to threats being made against activists planning peaceful protests in Sonora, California. In Klamath Falls, Oregon, hundreds of people, most of whom were armed, assembled in response to false rumors that antifa activists would target the city, spread by a commander in the Oregon Air National Guard.

In an August 2020 interview, Trump spread a similar conspiracy theory, claiming that "thugs, wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms, with gear and this and that" had boarded a plane to Washington, D.C. to disrupt the 2020 Republican National Convention. Also in August 2020, a fake antifa website began to redirect users to the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign website. Although this has been described as "clearly a ploy to associate the Democratic Party with antifa", some on the right seized upon it.

A 2021 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) internal report found that senior DHS officials had sought to portray the 2020 protests in Portland, Oregon, without evidence, as an organized effort by antifa to attack government institutions, and had ordered staff to characterize protests as "Violent Antifa Anarchist Inspired".

A study by Zignal Labs found that unsubstantiated claims of antifa involvement were one of three dominant themes in misinformation and conspiracy theories around the protests, alongside claims that Floyd's murder had been faked and claims of involvement by George Soros. Some of the opposition to antifa activism has also been artificial in nature. Nafeesa Syeed of Bloomberg News reported that "he most-tweeted link in the Russian-linked network followed by the researchers was a petition to declare Antifa a terrorist group".

Capitol attack (2021)

Further information: John Earle Sullivan § 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol
January 6 United
States Capitol attack
TimelinePlanning
Background
2020 presidential election
and other causes
Related groups and persons
Participants
Notable people
Organizations
Law enforcement response
Aftermath
Biden inauguration
Investigations and charges
Corporate actions
Reactions
Impeachment and 2024 presidential election

Immediately after the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, a false claim that it was a false flag operation staged by antifa to implicate Trump supporters was spread by a number of Trump loyalists including Representative Mo Brooks, Mark Burns, Lou Dobbs, California State Senate minority leader Shannon Grove, Laura Ingraham, Mike Lindell, former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, actor Kevin Sorbo, Eric Trump and L. Lin Wood. The conspiracy theory began on 4chan and similar websites before spreading to more mainstream conservative news sites. Representative Paul Gosar was the first member of Congress to claim that people associated with antifa were responsible for the attack. During Trump's second impeachment trial, his attorney Michael van der Veen stated that "One of the first people arrested was the leader of antifa."

In posts on Parler, leaders of the Proud Boys had disclosed plans to attend the rally wearing "all black" clothing associated with antifa activists and arrive "incognito" in an apparent effort to shift blame for any violence on antifa.

A false claim that a facial recognition software company had identified participants in the incursion as antifa activists originated in a report by Rowan Scarborough published in The Washington Times, and was promoted on the U.S. House floor by Representative Matt Gaetz. The Washington Times retracted the story and issued a correction the next day.

The FBI said there was no evidence of antifa involvement in the mob incursion.

The conspiracy was also promoted by Republican Senator Ron Johnson. A poll released in February 2021 by the American Enterprise Institute found that 30% of Americans (including 50% of Republicans and 20% of Democrats) believe antifa was mostly responsible for the violence that happened in the riots at the U.S. Capitol.

Analyses and studies

Questions on how effective antifa is and whether it is a reasonable response have been raised and discussed by news media.

In relation to the events of the Unite the Right rally, a 2018 study conducted by professor of criminology Gary LaFree on the link between antifa and terrorism concluded that "while the events share many characteristics of terrorist attacks", the actions by antifa supporters during this event "do not include all of the elements of terrorism required by the GTD". Whereas it fulfilled the requirements of an action led by "sub-national actors" with "violence or threat of violence", it lacked in particular the "intentionality of the incident", that is the "result of a conscious calculation on the part of the perpetrators." LaFree also questioned "whether antifa can be considered to constitute a 'group' at this point in time" and stressed "how complicated it is to distinguish terrorism from other forms of illegal violence" such as those by antifa supporters.

In June 2020, the think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) assembled a database of 893 terrorism incidents in the United States beginning in 1994. An analysis of the database conducted by The Guardian in July 2020 found no murders linked to antifa or anti-fascism since 1994. According to The Guardian, the only death resulting from an anti-fascist attack recorded in the database was that of Willem van Spronsen, who was shot dead by police while allegedly firebombing a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Tacoma, Washington, in 2019. In contrast, the study highlighted the fact that 329 people were killed by American white supremacists or other right-wing extremists during the same period. The Guardian quoted Heidi Beirich, a co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, as saying that "Antifa is not going around murdering people like rightwing extremists are. It's a false equivalence. I've at times been critical of antifa for getting into fights with Nazis at rallies and that kind of violence, but I can't think of one case in which an antifa person was accused of murder." Seth Jones, a counter-terrorism expert who led the creation of the CSIS's database, told The Guardian that "eftwing violence has not been a major terrorism threat" and that "the most significant domestic terrorism threat comes from white supremacists, anti-government militias and a handful of individuals associated with the 'boogaloo' movement that are attempting to create a civil war in the United States."

The CSIS database was updated in October 2020 to include the suspected killing of Aaron Danielson by Michael Reinoehl. In September 2020, when the investigation was still ongoing, Brian Levin said that if Reinoehl was implicated, it would mark the first case in recent history of an antifa supporter being charged with homicide. Reinoehl was charged by Portland police with second-degree murder and was later shot and killed by a federally led fugitive task force near Lacey, Washington. Reinoehl self-identified as antifa but was not associated with Rose City Antifa or the Portland-based anti-fascist organization Popular Mobilization.

Voice of America, a US state-owned international radio broadcaster, summarized a report by the Network Contagion Research Institute as stating that "far-left movements such as antifa, while decentralized and seen as less lethal than their counterparts on the far right, are just as capable of turning peaceful protests into violent confrontations with law enforcement". According to Voice of America, "the Justice Department has not charged any left-wing groups in connection with the civil unrest, and extremism experts say while the threat of violence from antifa is real, organized groups on the far right pose a greater threat of violence." Josh Lipowsky, a senior research analyst with the Counter Extremism Project, stated that "the decentralized antifa movement poses a lesser threat than the better organized groups on the far right."

See also

References

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