Throughout the summer, cities across the country have been rocked by violent riots that have seen control of the streets slip into the hands of a violent Leftist movement, called Antifa.
Antifa has its roots back to Europe, perhaps as far back as the 1920’s, and its ideology began to pop up in the US in the 1970’s. Inept and irresponsible local officials have allowed this loosely affiliated, “Anti-Fascist,” Anti-Capitalist, Anarchist movement to overwhelm local Law Enforcement, permitting widespread destruction by the groups with little local punishment. Hiding behind the guise of “mostly peaceful protesting,” local authorities in places like New York, Seattle, and most infamously, Portland, have all but ceded control to this movement in parts of their cities.
When violent Leftists seized control of the Capitol Hill District of Seattle, Washington, in June, Democrat Mayor Jenny Durkan outrageously labeled it “The Summer of Love.” In a profile piece for the New York Post, Investigate Journalist Andy Ngo reported that this occupied “CHOP ZONE,” was a training ground & indoctrination hub for groups like Antifa: “Another booklet is titled “Against the Police and the Prison World They Maintain.” It features short essays on why police, capitalism and the state must be destroyed by any means necessary, including through violence.” Behind the “bloc-party-by-day” façade of the CHOP Zone, was the wicked reality of an area partitioned by violent extremists and criminals: rape, robbery, murders, and the repeated attempts to burn down the city’s East Precinct. It took weeks for Mayor Jenny to reluctantly take back control from these domestic terrorists, and many speculate it was only due to an ultimatum by the Federal Government.
The stated goal of the group is quite simple: “Defund the Police.” The groups demanding that our Law Enforcement Institutions are dismantled, will tell you that they can hire unarmed traffic patrols, send in social workers to “de-escalate” mentally unstable, potentially violent criminals, and accept looting as a “creative form” of protest. Their sales pitch is mayhem and targeting of Police Officers. Somehow, Leftist Mayors and Governors seem to be sold. It’s not their businesses or family members being targeted, after all.
The case of Portland, Oregon is a lesson on what groups like Antifa are really hoping to achieve, however. Simply altering Police procedure, or redirecting money, is just the opening salvo for these militants. Fundamentally overthrowing the existing order is their true objective. In a piece for The Missouri Times, Holly Rehder captures their objective in simple terms: “Antifa is a radical communist group that wants to see our police officers out of the way, our Constitution torn to shreds, and our freedom destroyed.” That Antifa is such a nebulous movement with no true hierarchy makes containing this menace all that more difficult. There is no one leader to apprehend. The current financiers of the movement are unknown, although A-list celebrities and Kamala Harris have spent plenty springing the rioters from jail. This is only the beginning. It is clear that Liberal politicians who are complicit in this chaos are either too cowardly to act on behalf all their citizens, or harbor ideological sympathies with those assaulting, killing, and burning their cities. We must stand with our Law Enforcement. And NEVER let Antifa gain control of our streets.
The prominent rise of the Antifa organization is a major focus of American Police Officers Alliance. To learn more about the dangers of Antifa, visit our facts page and take a look at our newest video.
Image Credit: Photo by Julian Wan on Unsplash
