March 1, 2018
Antifa—Background
“Antifa” Gains Prominence in the
lack of faith can result in a willingness to engage in
Public Realm
criminality—taking the law into their own hands—when
Some Americans describe themselves and their ideological
confronting their foes or expressing their own ideas.
outlooks as “antifa,” shorthand for “antifascist.” As “antifa”
suggests, followers focus on countering the views of people
While few concrete antifa principles exist, U.S. supporters
they deem fascist or white supremacist. They see
have articulated four “obligations” for all groups.
themselves as part of a protest tradition that arcs back to
According to a movement text, antifa groups must (1) track
opposition groups in Nazi Germany and fascist Italy prior
the activity of fascist groups, (2) oppose their public
to World War II. A portion of antifa movement members
organizing, (3) support antifascist allies attacked by fascists
are willing to commit crimes to promote their beliefs.
or arrested by police, and (4) not cooperate with law
Antifa groups in the United States have gained prominence
enforcement.
following violent clashes between white supremacists and
their opponents in Charlottesville, VA, on August 12, 2017.
When it has occurred, interpersonal violence during
Also in 2017, according to news reports, antifa protesters
demonstrations has ranged from street fights involving
scuffled with people they opposed at public protests in
groups to “Nazi-punching,” which, as the term suggests,
locations such as Portland, OR, and Berkeley, CA.
involves an individual assaulting a perceived enemy. A
September 2017 incident in the Seattle, WA, area
The U.S. antifa movement appears to be decentralized,
reportedly began with people using antifa-linked social
consisting of independent, radical, like-minded groups and
media accounts to post photographs of a man sporting a
individuals. Its tenets can dovetail with the principles of
swastika armband around town. Someone presumably
anarchism, socialism, and communism. Adherents do not
following the social media posts caught up to him and
necessarily just hold these opinions, however. Among many
knocked him out with a blow to the head. According to
other things, they may also support environmentalism, the
police, the victim refused medical treatment and declined to
rights of indigenous populations, and gay rights. Antifa
report the crime. Antifa followers have also caused property
activism traces its U.S. roots back to antiracists who
damage at protests. When they harm property or brawl with
mobilized in the 1980s. Some of these antiracists were
opponents, antifa members tend to rationalize such crimes
willing to break the law when opposing the activities of
either as defensive reactions to the aggressions of their foes
people like racist skinheads, members of the Ku Klux Klan
or as part of their own need to defend society from fascism.
(KKK), and neo-Nazis.
In some instances, antifa followers show up at protests
prepared for physical skirmishes, carrying weapons as well
For at least two reasons, contemporary U.S. antifa
as gear such as shields and helmets.
adherents likely don’t share a list of enemies. First, the
movement lacks a unifying organizational structure or
Antifa movement literature emphasizes a number of ways
detailed ideology that might shape such a list. Local groups
to “take action.” The same movement source that describes
do not have to listen to each other’s pronouncements and
antifa “obligations” urges followers to pursue some
might aim their animus at specific enemies. Second,
activities that appear to be fairly ordinary, lawful protest
“fascism” is notoriously difficult to define. Thus, particular
fare, as well as other activities that seem more
antifa groups may oppose different things based on how
confrontational. Among its suggestions, it encourages
they identify who or what is fascist.
adherents to do the following:
Antifa Purpose and Tactics
Develop an online/social media presence to promote
antifa views and recruit.
Much antifa activity involves nonviolent protest such as
hanging posters, delivering speeches, and marching. As a
Monitor the activities of groups such as the KKK, racist
core purpose, antifa groups track and react to the activities
skinheads, and neo-Nazis, as well as people who
of individuals or groups they see as advocating fascist
describe themselves as white nationalists, among others.
views, such as neo-Nazis, racist skinheads, white
Throw fundraisers and set up promotional tables at a
supremacists, and white nationalists. Antifa adherents
variety of public events to recruit new members.
believe that civil liberties protections provide safe harbor to
Join rallies held by like-minded organizations opposing
ideas and people bent on harming vulnerable populations in
people or groups that antifa supporters dub fascist.
the United States. Thus, antifa followers tend not to accept
Antifa groups also stage their own counter-
that the conventional capacities of American society will
demonstrations opposing fascist rallies.
thwart the rise of fascist movements. They lack faith in the
ability of federal, state, or local governments to properly
Compel outside organizations hosting speakers or rallies
investigate or prosecute fascists who break the law,
with a fascist bent to cancel such events. Protest in these
especially during shows of force at public marches. This
instances can involve obstructing access to venues and
the intense lobbying of hosts. This sort of activity has
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Antifa—Background
been called “no platforming” (i.e., denying opponents a
commit crimes in the name of anarchism (likely including
public platform). Those advocating free speech have
antifa), animal rights, environmental rights, white
especially criticized these efforts.
supremacy, antigovernment beliefs (such as those that
Remove or deface the publicly posted flyers of
inspire “sovereign citizens” and unauthorized militias),
perceived enemies.
black separatism, and beliefs tied to abortion. In 2017, the
FBI reportedly also created the concept of “black identity
Publicize information about perceived enemies. This can
extremism” (BIE). It is unclear how BIE fits in with the rest
include group affiliations (such as the KKK), home
of these categories. (For more, see CRS Report, CRS
addresses, photographs, phone numbers, social media
Report R44921, Domestic Terrorism: An Overview; and CRS
profiles, and their employers. This kind of activity, often
In Focus IF10769, FBI Categorization of Domestic Terrorism.)
involving lawful online research, is called doxxing. In
some instances, innocent persons (cases of mistaken
Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) led by the FBI
identity) may be targeted and have their lives disrupted
coordinate federal counterterrorism investigations—
by doxxing, although antifa activists engaged in this line
including those involving crimes perpetrated by antifa
of work purport to avoid such outcomes.
supporters. The more than 100 JTTFs in FBI field divisions
across the country bring together federal, state, and local
Develop self-defense training regimens involving
participants. JTTFs are multiagency teams of investigators,
martial arts and the legal limits governing self-defense
analysts, linguists, and other specialists who investigate
items such as pepper spray, retractable clubs, and
terrorism and terrorism-related crimes. The FBI safeguards
firearms. Where and how antifa followers use such
against cases solely focused on constitutionally protected
training and equipment likely depends partly on the
activities. Formal FBI investigative activity has to be
threat posed by opponents at rallies or the risk of arrest
conducted, at the very least, for an authorized national
and criminal conviction.
security, criminal, or foreign intelligence collection purpose
Are Antifa Members Domestic Terrorists?
and in pursuit of a clearly defined objective. Investigative
activity may not solely monitor the exercise of First
According to news reports, since 2016 counterterrorism
Amendment rights.
experts at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI, the
Bureau) have been increasingly concerned about violence
perpetrated by antifa supporters at public rallies where they
Historical Context
confront their ideological opponents. Presumably, the
Arguably, antifascism goes back to the origins of fascism in
Bureau would investigate antifa followers suspected of
interwar Italy and Germany. American antiracist groups—
criminal activity as domestic terrorists, categorizing them as
such as Anti-Racist Action (ARA)—that took up the
a type of anarchist extremist. FBI Director Christopher
ideology in the late 1980s embraced the international
Wray has suggested as much, noting that the Bureau has
movement’s provocative and occasionally criminal—even
opened counterterrorism investigations into people
violent—tactics. In 2013, activists rebranded ARA into the
committing crimes in the name of antifa beliefs. In
Torch Network, a loose coalition of about a dozen antifa
congressional testimony in November 2017, he said that the
groups. Founded in 2007, The Rose City Antifa (RCA) in
FBI was pursuing “a number of what we would call
Portland, OR, is the oldest U.S. group to use “antifa” in its
anarchist extremist investigations, where we have properly
moniker. RCA joined the Torch Network in 2016. It had
predicated subjects [people] who are motivated to commit
been part of ARA between 2007 and 2013.
violent criminal activity on kind of an antifa ideology. So
Violence by U.S. antifa members is not new. For example,
we have a number of active investigations in that space, all
in 2012 antiracists linked to ARA attacked a meeting of the
around the country.” In public remarks in January 2018,
Illinois European Heritage Association, consisting of white
Thomas E. Brzozowski, the Department of Justice’s
supremacists from the National Socialist Movement and
Counsel for Domestic Terrorism Matters, reiterated Wray’s
people from other groups. Brandishing items such as
comments. The FBI has not made public additional
hammers, baseball bats, and police batons, the attackers
information about its antifa-related cases.
entered a Chicago-area restaurant and assaulted meeting
attendees. Five attackers received prison sentences for their
FBI Terrorism Investigations. The FBI is the lead
roles in the melee.
agency for federal terrorism investigations (28 C.F.R.
0.85(l)). Its top priority is protecting the United States
It appears the contemporary movement may be growing as
from terrorist attack. The FBI relies on the following
antifa groups recruit followers on fears that fascism is
definition of domestic terrorism: “acts of violence that
making new inroads in the United States. Such expansion
[violate] the criminal laws of the United States or any
and the rising number of run-ins between antifa supporters
state, committed by individuals or groups without any
and their opponents at public rallies raise the public profile
foreign direction, and appear to be intended to intimidate
of antifascism in the United States.
or coerce a civilian population, or influence the policy of a
government by intimidation or coercion, and occur
(This report was originally authored by Jerome P.
primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United
Bjelopera, former CRS Specialist in Organized Crime and
States.” The definition says nothing about the specific
Terrorism.)
ideological motivations of domestic terrorists. In recent
years, the FBI and the Department of Justice have
Lisa N. Sacco, Analyst in Illicit Drugs and Crime Policy
delineated a number of ideologies that domestic terrorists
IF10839
use to justify their crimes. Domestic terrorists/extremists
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Antifa—Background
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10839 · VERSION 2 · NEW