In the first presidential debate, Donald Trump painted a picture of the “Antifa terrorists” who are committing violence and destroying property. In response, Joe Biden said “Antifa isn’t an organization, it’s an idea.” The notion that Trump echoed – that Antifa is a violent organization that harms innocent people – is very common in right wing politics. So, is Antifa a terrorist organization or is it just an idea?
Antifa means ‘anti-facist.’ The first thing to understand about Antifa is that Joe Biden is correct when he says that Antifa is an idea not an organization. Antifa is more about actions rather than membership to an organization. You can’t join it or be a member of it. At its core, Antifa as “doing something anti-facist.” This is why Antifa can’t be labeled as a terrorist organization as Trump so desperately wants to. It isn’t even an organization. Even those who speak out against Antifa have failed to identify members of this supposed organization. As a reader this question is equally difficult to answer, can you name a single “member” of Antifa?
Antifa is criticized almost exclusively for being violent, and its critics fail to highlight any other actions. Anything one might do to stop or oppose facism is anti-facist. This includes things like using one’s first amendment rights to freedom of speech and of the press to stop fascists, and facist acts, even publicly outing people at a white supremacist rally. Any action, violent or peaceful, that one might do to stop facism is anti-facist.
The idea of being anti-facist is something that most of the public should agree with; facism is inherently an oppressive and evil form of government and we should be opposed to it. The idea that facism must be opposed by any means is where the controversy comes from. The name Antifa applies to all anti-fascists who are open to the use of violence in order to combat the greater threat that is facism.
Opposing violence by engaging in violence sounds contradictory. This is the origin of the right-wing sentiment that “Antifa are the real fascists.” Arguably, however, it would be morally correct to support Antifa. There are many historical examples in which people have been presented with an enormous challenge. There are always those who treat that challenge with condemnation and those who go out of their way to stop it; using violence to combat violence if necessary.
With the recent talk of Antifa involving the Black Lives Matter protests and the use of Antifa in political rhetoric, now more than ever it is important to understand what it is and what it means. Antifa isn’t some scary organization or “the real fascists”, but an idea that is intended to reduce harm. An idea as important today as it has ever been.