Antifa stands for ANTI-FASCISTS, always has. The current Republican talking points are horse pucky.
Let’s define a few terms and look at history.
First and foremost, “Antifa” is not an organized political group, it is a shared ideology that is AGAINST FASCISM.
Fascism is a far-right ultra nationalist ideology best known as used by the Italian Fascists and German Nazis and is defined by authoritarian, dictatorial leadership. It emerged in Europe during the 1920’s in response to political and economic crisis.
The anti-fascists (Antifa) movements pulled together back in the 1920’s in response to Benito Mussolini’s consolidation of power under his National Fascists Party in Italy. Mussolini was a dictator and authoritarian leader, a “strong man”. Anti-fascists became prominent again with the rise of Nazi power in Germany in the 1930’s using the name Antifaschistische Aktion. World War II fighters on the Allied powers side were considered “Antifa” as well. Antifa rose again later during the fall of the Berlin wall in response to the resurgence of the neo-Nazi movement. In America, during the 70’s and 80’s, anti-fascists ideology grew in response to the infiltration of white power skinheads into the punk scene, under the name Anti-Racists Action.
People coming together against fascism comprised a variety of political ideologies from socialist’s, communists, centrists, liberals’, to conservatives, etc. The key is that they were all AGAINST FASCISM.
The same holds true for modern day anti-fascists and the current movement. Can’t stress this enough, they are AGAINST FASCISM. Still not an organized, or a funded movement, just a bunch of folks across a wide spectrum that do not want fascism taking hold in leadership. It isn’t about George Soros, or communists, socialists, etc., or whatever nonsense the Republican party is spewing. It’s about being AGAINST FASCISM and against authoritarian, strong man or dictatorial type leadership that historically has never been in the best interests of the people.
The question to ask is why are people who are AGAINST FASCISM being demonized? You should be AGAINST FASCISM. Why has the American Republican party started attacking “Antifa”, an historically good movement that has stood AGAINST FASCISM?