What is ANTIFA?

Introduction

??????????? Terrorism presents a complex challenge for the development of a concise definition. Understanding the implications of terrorism involves the assembly of the many factors that lend to the better comprehension of the circumstances which form these behaviors. Defining the context of terrorism is achieved through the discovery of perspectives that offer guidance for accessing values. These processes demand the assembly of factual information in order to develop any full understanding of most complex phenomena, such as terrorism.

??????????? Organizations of individuals that engage in planned events that frequently include criminal behaviors on grand scales are often disruptive and affect the quality of community life. Whether or not these groups of individuals engage in terrorism is formally decided by the definitive meanings of such labels. Regardless of the meanings of these or any definitions regarding terrorism, an examination of the facts concerning the assignments of these designations is necessary.

What is Antifa?

??????????? Does anyone really know who the group Antifa is? Why is this group such a mystery? Antifa is a group or network of individuals and subgroups, with a somewhat unknown level of organization, and Antifa is organized enough to have an intricate internet and donation system implemented. Antifa is organized in such a manner that their response and presence has been reliable at certain events of their interest. Their usage of social media platforms in communicating and organizing is not unusual or a mystery.

??????????? Who comprises Antifa are youth of various ethnic origins and certainly the leadership may contain older, more experienced individuals? Motivations for active membership may be dependent on an assortment of factors, however; the individuals participating and arrested during these protests were young and both male and female. We know that many of the youth arrested reside within the United States. We do not know the demographics concerning age, employment, or whether these youth are living in their parents’ basements.

??????????? As we watched rioting in several cities, we observed the ominous black-clad, ninja-like Antifa hooligans countering and attacking trained law enforcement officers with reckless abandon, looking like SWAT. Media accounts represent this group as prepared, self-sufficient, and organized, but are these narratives accurate?

Drivers and Source of Leadership

??????????? Soldiers of the group(s) or subgroups called Antifa are largely Gen Y’s and Z’s, with possibly some late-blooming Millennials, the children of Generation X’ers and the grandchildren of Baby Boomers. The drivers for active membership could be the eternal need of youth to be relevant, possibility mimicking their hippy grandparents’ reported escapades. Regardless, in America these Antifa responses are the reveal of an ever-widening gap in philosophical beliefs with the single discriminating factor being age. As the WWII generation viewed the advent of the 1960’s flower children, with long-hair and loud music as threatening, now those Baby Boomers look to today’s youth through the same eyes.

??????????? Theoretical views about the funding efforts of Antifa created suspicion about Soros-style appropriations funding the infrastructure of these groups, but there is no definitive proof of such to date. Surely the sponsorship of Antifa over and above the generated individual donations is of concern for our national security, but the popular generational narrative of clandestine funding sources overshadows the reality of the changing of the American guard.

??????????? These beliefs were supported by Pyrooz and Densley (2017) that found that Antifa characteristics were more gang-like and like “A budding social movement” (Pg.254), rather than a terrorism organization. Short and Hughes (2018) also supported this gang assessment, going further to compare Antifa with the Euro-gangs, both sharing collective identities, street presence, and durability.

Antifa-A Terrorist Group:? Does it Matter?

??????????? We may debate the technicalities of our constructed terrorism definitions and our needs to bracket Antifa into some ordered construct, in order to find the proper context for our understanding of this phenomenon, but why? Academics and counterterrorism practitioners have been attempting to conform Antifa into some category without real success. According to counterterrorism experts, the latest Antifa dossier still does not measure up to the terrorist organization definitions.

??????????? Antifa is an organization of some sorts, but it is more a gang that represents a movement. LaFree’s (2018) evaluation of Antifa confirmed that this group was not by the Global Terrorism Database (GTD), a terrorism organization, using the specific characteristic that to be considered under the GTD as a terrorist organization, all incidents must be intentional rather than spontaneous, such as the Charlottesville case.

Conclusion

??????????? Antifa is a loosely structured group that contributes a strong street presence during events in which they choose to participate. During these events, Antifa presents significant tenacity and tactics. The infrastructure of Antifa appears to be well organized in logistical responses, supply chain reinforcement, and tactical efforts. Although Antifa is not a terrorist organization per counterterrorism definitions, they exhibit gang behaviors in many ways. As stated, Antifa appears to be more of a philosophical movement of youth that may be, to an unknown extent, funded by extremists to facilitate community unrest and eventual social changes.

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References

LaFree, G. (2018). Is antifa a terrorist group??Society,?55(3), 248-252.?https://dx.doi.org.saintleo.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s12115-018-0246-x

Pyrooz, D. and Densley, J. (2017). “To deal with antifa, designate it as a street gang.”?https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325026181_On_Public_Protest_Violence_and_Street_Gangs

Short, J. and Hughes, L. (2018). Antifa, street gangs, and the importance of group processes.?Society,?55(3), 253-255.?https://dx.doi.org.saintleo.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s12115-018-0247-9

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