It was as much people getting called out on social media and losing their jobs or getting kicked out of school that did it.

I think these assholes like antifa because it makes them feel tougher than they are. They would welcome a little violence because it makes them into martyr's.

I prefer the show of force to be a police presence while the method of counter-protest be peaceful with a strong dose of redicule

against fascism and white supremacy, you are destined for great disappointment.

I will count on peaceful protesters outnumbering the asshole 100:1 to bulwark democracy.

I will count on the police to keep the few dozen assholes from turning it into a riot.

Then I will count on the internet to shine light on those assholes so that civilized society can shun them

Large numbers long after Antifa was showing up and brawling with them. If you can get them to show up in large numbers every time then great. But clashes happened several times before Charlottesville in which Antifa were the only ones who showed up because all those peaceful protesters you laud had better things to do. Meanwhile, Antifa, who people like you condemn, were actually, risking their safety and their lives to go out and confront these assholes while lots of "good protesters" stayed home.

Antifa stood between the racists and nazis in Charlottesville a year ago and have been credited with saving several clergy from harm.

They're on our side.

I mean "like" as in "are fond of"

Not "like" as in "similar to"

So let me restate it more clearly.

I think these racist shitheads enjoy having antifa there because it makes them feel tougher than they are. They would welcome a little violence because it makes them into martyr's.

I think Antifa are righteous and on the right side. I just don't love the tactics.

Sorry for any confusion

much of that doxxing?

of the 2 equal sides bullshit.. funny, cause that was Trumps stance on this issue..

counterproductive antics. Shining a light on those cockroaches is much more effective than street brawling.

is very counterproductive.

Peaceful protesters to get off their sensible asses and show up every time to shut the fascists out then street brawling wouldn't be necessary. But more often then not, it's only Antifa that shows up, and when the fascists see that they're not outnumbered but might even have a numerical advantage, then street brawling is what happens because they are an inherently violent group.

It was only after Antifa showed up and brawled with the Nazis multiple times and showed the world that there's a problem here that the "reasonable" people started showing up too.

against any violence or destruction of property. Not only that, I'd like to see them organize a number of teams at any protest to identify anyone doing anything violent or destructive. They should video anyone doing anything violent, follow them and try and ID them. They have to get in a car or something eventually. The guy in the motorcycle helmet with the roman candle couldn't have gotten away very easily. He couldn't outrun a couple kids for long with that helmet on, or carrying it.

I suspect a lot of those assholes causing trouble are agent provocateurs coming in from the other side. If they did think they were on our side and helping the cause, let them also know they are not welcome.

What an asinine article

It's a term lumping in legitimate counter protesters with fringe anarchists/provocateurs.

The Nazis or Antifa??

Isn't it common knowledge. Try google.

She was not aligned with a violent faction.

The answer is obvious.. the fact that you choose to equate the two "factions" like Trump did tells me you have no skin in the game..

"If it had been left to people like you they would have been crushed"

That's your thing that you've rather pathetically decided you have the moral authority to do.

woman murdered in a Nazi terrorist attack by condemning those who were fighting be her side? That is one of the most pathetic things I've ever read on DU. When Heather Heyer's mom spoke the other day, did she condemn Antifa, or the Nazis?

I'm well aware of her mothers comments. Heartbreaking.

And it's beyond arrogant to think you do.

The amount of people on here who continually choose to equate anti-racism, anti-fascism, and anti-police brutality with the facist, racist, bigoted and murderously violent right wing/KKK/nazis is pathetic.

I hope all their friends at their nice, polite coffee klatches or around the water cooler at work are so impressed with just how sensible and polite they are in the face of rapidly advancing fascism in our country.

I've said it before - If I have a choice between Antifa.. or standing by while Nazis & KKKers roll down my block, as a minority I am standing strong with Antifa..

Some folks have the luxury of inaction, me.. my family & friends don't.. we are the target of these fascists..

Last edited Tue Aug 14, 2018, 10:41 AM - Edit history (1)

...is that since the beginning of the W years, I've been screaming to my more "sensible" allies in our party and people generally left of center that what the Republican party was doing was heading us toward fascism and trying to undo all the advances of the last 30 years. I said we need to be stronger in the ways we fight. Not violence strong, but stronger through the established channels than our side has had a history of being the past 20 years. Those people told me I was just being extremist and alarmist. They continually poo-pooed me and insisted that we have to be "better than the crazies on the other side" and that the system would work and the checks and balances of power would work.

Well after 20 years of taking the high road here we are with fascism not just at our door but in our house and pissing all over the furniture, and these same people who didn't want to listen to me and others like me are still insisting that we can fight this scourge with nice conversation over tea and cookies and that if we just let Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi do their nice, polite jobs that all of this bad stuff will go away on it's own and we don't need to do anything that David brooks would deem uncivil.

I'm likely as safe a demographic as they come right now, but I'll be goddamned if I'll sit by and wait for all the nice, safe, established institutions of power which have already failed my brothers and sisters in the various marginalized communities to come along and save the day.

How'd that "take the high road" philosophy turn out?? (rhetorical)

And yet, we're still here - hearing the same ole, same ole... I think(hope) the young will bring back the spine needed for this fight...

They discredit peaceful protesters.

Stop hand wringing folks...

"In the year since Heyer’s death, America has been in a hand-wringing conversation about whether it is “ok” to punch Nazis. As I wrote after Charlottesville, that is not a moral quandary that my grandfather and his generation, who fought Nazis both on the beaches of Normandy and in the streets of East London at the battle of Cable Street, would have struggled with."

So naturally there were way fewer Nazis this year than last year! That's how you do it!

There's no legitimate organization called "Antifa."

Antifa = antifascists = people who oppose racism and bigotry = most normal, decent people.

That's it.

While being anti-fascist is certainly the right path to take, "Antifa" has taken on a pejorative implication of lumping in all counter-protesters with the fringe of weird, shady folks who show up at these protests and like to wear black and facemasks and seem to enjoy chaos for whatever reason (whether they be provocateurs or legitimate anarchists).

And sure, I suppose we could launch efforts to take back and reclaim the term "Antifa" as a positive thing, but in terms of priorities it's pretty damn low.

People who counter protest against racists, bigots, neo-nazis, etc. are just people with normal decency who oppose hate. That's it. Calling those people "Antifa" and lumping them in with fringe anarchists does nothing good.