Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Antifa (United States)" in English language version.
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.
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.
Antifa is anti-government and anti-capitalist, and their methodologies are often perceived as more closely aligned with anarchists than the mainstream left.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)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.
[...] Antifa, a far-left anti-fascist movement. [...] The American Far Left includes 'groups or individuals that embrace anticapitalist, Communist, or Socialist doctrines and [seek] to bring about change through violent revolution' (Department of Homeland Security 2009, p. 6).
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.
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.
[...] the diverse collection of anarchists, communists and socialists has found common cause in opposing right-wing extremists and white supremacists.
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.
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.
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.
Portland police obtained a warrant Thursday afternoon charging Reinoehl with second-degree murder with a weapon and unlawful use of a weapon.
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.
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
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.
[...] Antifa, a far-left anti-fascist movement. [...] The American Far Left includes 'groups or individuals that embrace anticapitalist, Communist, or Socialist doctrines and [seek] to bring about change through violent revolution' (Department of Homeland Security 2009, p. 6).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Take, for example, Trump's repeated vows to label antifa a terrorist organization.
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.
[...] 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' [...].
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.
[...] 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' [...].
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.
Antifa is anti-government and anti-capitalist, and their methodologies are often perceived as more closely aligned with anarchists than the mainstream left.
[...] the diverse collection of anarchists, communists and socialists has found common cause in opposing right-wing extremists and white supremacists.
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.
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.
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.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)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.
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.
Take, for example, Trump's repeated vows to label antifa a terrorist organization.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Portland police obtained a warrant Thursday afternoon charging Reinoehl with second-degree murder with a weapon and unlawful use of a weapon.
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.