Anti-fascism

Anti-fascism, also called antifa, refers to the organized opposition to fascist governments. Fascism is a type of authoritarian government that revolves around a cult of personality inspired by the leader. It typically features strong military power, the oppression of minorities and those considered undesirable, as well as the removal of all political rivals or other political parties. The first fascist leader was Benito Mussolini who, beginning in 1921, founded and led the National Fascist Party, an Italian political party.

Because fascist leaders unify their supporters by alienating minority groups, many anti-fascist groups are also anti-racist, working to defend minorities. Anti-fascists typically use violent tactics to combat fascist governments, sometimes organizing into rebel groups. In the twenty-first century, an anti-fascist movement developed in the United States, unifying a variety of activist organizations working to protest the persecution of minorities and police violence.

Background

Violent authoritarian governments have existed throughout history, giving power to only a few individuals, typically with few, if any, checks and balances on that power. Authoritarian leaders often disregard the welfare of others as they exercise their power, working to amass more strength for themselves while weakening political opponents. They may work to remove elections or rig their results. Authoritarian governments often use violence to enforce their will on their citizens. Dictatorships are a common form of authoritarian government, but other types of authoritarianism also exist.

Fascism is a form of authoritarianism that began in Italy during the twentieth century. It draws its name from the Italian word fascio, meaning “bundle,” in reference to bundles of people being carried by leaders. In 1919, the group Fasci Italiani di Combattimento conspired to ensure that its leader, Benito Mussolini, would rise to leadership in Italy. Mussolini was opposed to democracy, believing that the most efficient type of government involved forcibly organizing the populace under the power of the state. He argued that such a system would eliminate social classes by making all citizens equal. However, in practice fascist governments do not offer citizens equality and instead abuse or kill minorities and anyone else who is in opposition to them. These governments do not allow other political parties to exist within their nation and often use a cult of personality focused on the head of state to win the trust of their people.

Many fascist leaders followed Mussolini, including Adolf Hitler who took control of Germany in 1933. Though Mussolini died in 1945, others studied his methods of seizing power, implementing his process in their own nations. In many cases, it was difficult to see that fascism was occurring until after the leaders had seized control of their nations.

Overview

Antifascism is the organized resistance to fascist movements. This resistance occurs despite the efforts of fascist governments to destroy or discredit it. In many cases, anti-fascism involves an armed rebellion against a tyrannical regime.

The first anti-fascist organization was Antifaschistitsche Aktion, which was founded in the Weimar Republic in 1932 by communists in the region now known as Germany. As the Weimar Republic’s government weakened, it fought political parties seeking to take control of the country. This included the Nazi Party, which eventually seized Germany, and also liberal and conservative parties.

Over time, more anti-fascist movements developed in nations trending toward fascism or authoritarianism. These movements were not in favor of or against a particular political party but favored revolutionary politics. In the 1980s, anti-fascist organizations developed new tactics to fight organized opponents, such as better-organized militias. The most famous of these tactics was black-block protesting, during which large numbers of rioters dressed all in black, typically with their faces covered. These rioters moved together within larger protests, destroying property and fighting supporters of the established government. In the modern era, anti-fascist volunteer soldiers have traveled to remote corners of the world to defend civilians against tyranny. Many of these battles have taken place in Syria and other Middle Eastern nations, where soldiers flying flags referencing the original anti-fascist movements fight against ISIS and other authoritarian regimes.

Members of America’s early anti-racist movement used anti-fascist tactics to fight against organized hate groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan. Many of these activists believed that racism and fascism were linked, and fighting against organized racism was the same as fighting against organized fascism. The American anti-fascist movement experienced a resurgence in the late 1980s, with the formation of the Anti-Racist Action (ARA). This group helped organize protests against hate groups and authoritarians, working to protect LGBTQIA+ people and minority groups. Like many other anti-fascist groups throughout history, during protests this group flew the flag of the 1930s German antifa and used the raised fist salute.

During the early twenty-first century, anti-fascist groups mobilized against rising numbers of White supremacists in the United States. Using black-block tactics, they damaged property and used violence to fight against organized White supremacist groups and police overreach. In 2017, large numbers of anti-fascists counter-protested against modern Nazi and White supremacist groups at the Unite the Right rally. They also played a major role in the protests and riots against police violence against Black Americans. In 2020, President Donald Trump said he would designate Antifa a terrorist group in the United States, however, no formal designation came and as of 2024 the group was not classified as a terrorist group. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy introduced a bill to designate the group as a domestic terrorist group, but the bill never went past its referral to the Judiciary Committee.

Bibliography

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