Recent efforts by so-called “antifa” groups to step up in their fight against the “Alt-right” and “white-nationalism” have caused a few chuckles across the country.
Speaking to Tucker Carlson, a Chicago antifa group representative under the pseudonym “Naila” said that the “Haymaker Collective” is looking to fight the apparent rise of “hate crimes” in the city.
Although curiously silent on how many of these hate crimes make up the more than 2000 shootings that plague Chicago on a yearly basis, the representative reiterated her group’s desire to “grow strength together.”
To this end, they’re looking to open up a gym by raising funds through a very professional campaign put up on indiegogo. Check it out yourself if you’re wondering why they were only able to raise $6000 towards their efforts. For those with weaker stomachs, here’s a taste of their manifesto,
“Naila is a student and activist who has been pursuing racial and gender justice through organizing policy and initiatives. When hate crimes began rising during the presidential campaign, she knew her appearance put her at an even higher risk for attack. She wants to create a space where femmes and people of color can strike back.”
Really strikes fear into your heart doesn’t it.
Anyone looking to join in on their self-defense routines beware, because while the organization is willing to take anyone who makes a donation to their efforts. They aren’t willing to extend that courtesy to anyone who has links to the police or holds right-wing views. I suppose that rules out anyone who actually knows how to throw a punch then.
While seemingly harmless, these efforts do point out an alarming trend of violet advocacy overtaking leftist groups.
Recently, “Going Down” a “digital community center for anarchist, anti-fascist, autonomous anti-capitalist and anti-colonial movements,” published an open letter encouraging less active liberals to support the efforts of these antifa movements. The message reads,
“Confrontational and disruptive social movements have been the only thing which have helped defeat some of Trump’s proposed policies, such as the Muslim Ban 1.0, and it is only mass disruptive action which has the only hope of putting a wrench in the gears of everything from the deportation machine to the drive to war.”
Going on to urge progressives to start, “fighting against domination and exploitation.”
For their parts, authorities aren’t blind to the rising threat, with New Jersey going so far as to classify antifa organizations domestic terrorists.
So far, efforts at a domestic uprising have been limited to isolated incidents of vandalism such as the “kill trump” graffiti campaign started in Olympia Washington.
However, these groups are becoming increasingly political, organizing efforts to target student protests. For example, antifa thugs are suspected of attacking a free speech themed protest organized at Evergreen College, hurling projectiles and slashing tires in response to the peaceful protest.
