Comment by hexator
3 days ago
It's not a loosely organized group, it's a label applied (by the right) to many different groups with little to no coordination operating in entirely different places
3 days ago
It's not a loosely organized group, it's a label applied (by the right) to many different groups with little to no coordination operating in entirely different places
It may have a different connotation in the US than in Europe. In US media I’ve only heard the term being used recently, in Europe it’s been around for decades.
In Europe, “Antifascist” is a label that people groups use to describe themselves, similar to how other describe themselves as patriot or pacifist. Someone carrying an Antifa flag at a protest is maybe comparable to someone carrying a Gadsden flag at a right wing rally.
Yeah, basically this. People have been calling themselves Antifascist, but only the right-wing calls it "Antifa". Literally anyone carrying a sign at a protest that says "Reject Fascism" is an antifascist. Those are the people the US government is calling terrorists.
Parent comment was flagged but fair point. There’s nobody calling the global shots. I wouldn’t say “little to no coordination” but I think I’m splitting hairs.
There were a bunch of groups who actually called themselves either Antifa or Antifascist Action. That's where the name originates. It's not that US govt wants to give them credit for being "anti fascism."