General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Does Antifa actually exist or is it a figment of the disturbed Republican psyche? [View all]Sympthsical
(9,073 posts)I knew who they were long before Twitter or DU or a lot of places had ever heard of them.
And they were here before Trump. They were tearing up the place long before Trump. Antifa, Black Bloc, By Any Means Necessary. They're all troublesome.
And they are not anti-fascist. "We don't like this speaker at UC Berkeley!" Let's set the campus on fire and smash up down town Berkeley! Let's physically threaten anyone who disagrees with us or films our violence! That's not anti-fascist. That's fascist.
I can call myself a giraffe. Doesn't make me one.
You know who's never been a problem in my experience? BLM. But once Antifa and that whole lot get involved, problems start. That's why some BLM leaders have distanced themselves from them. They know they'll taint the perception of the movement. It's a damn shame, too, because BLM is too important to have these outside groups glom onto it and bring their special brand of chaos.
I have lived experience with this stuff. I've walked over the glass of smashed storefronts on my way to work countless times over the years. I've walked through Oakland wondering if entire neighborhoods being boarded up was just going to be the permanent aesthetic.
I am very aware of what they called themselves from Day One. And no one on the internet is going to tell me otherwise because Twitter told them it's not true.