top of page

The Far-Right Linked to Antifa Account, @Antifa_US, has Been Removed by Twitter

Writer's picture: Kara Machowski Kara Machowski

Updated: Jun 3, 2020

by Kara Machowski


In the past week America has seen a number of greatly disturbing scenes, from the one that ignited all of the protesting, the horrid death of George Floyd; to protests that birthed scenes of riots filled with violence, destruction, looting, shootings and a few deaths that never needed to happen. Of course those who don’t understand the Black Movement are going to be afraid, especially when they're being told by the president that they're from an organized

The idea didn’t originate from Trump, but he definitely politicized and promoted it on Sunday when he tweeted, “the United States of America will be designating antifa as a Terrorist Organization”.

Many who have never witnessed injustice are watching their neighborhoods and favorite stores destroyed and looted by anarchists while any channel you turn to on television is displaying energized civilians being hit with batons, tear gas, rubber bullets and even vehicles while police officers are being attacked by rioters and protected by protesters.


There are few business owners who were beaten to a pulp to try and protect their business and the media is not only getting these violent acts confused with peaceful protesters, but now they have decided to take personal attack on a movement that has no leader and whose messages that incited violence that were read and retaliated by the president, was authored by an account that is associated with a white-supremacist group. Yes, the account was built by the far right to shed a negative light on an anti-fascist movement against antisemitism, you know the idea that promoted the Holocaust.


Notice the only hand is black? Then why is the media labeling white men as antifa "members"?



What is Antifa?

Antifa was a movement that began in the 1940’s at the time of Hitler’s reign in Germany and in response to the Holocaust. According the Merriam Webster the official definition is; “a person or group actively opposing fascism : an anti-fascist movement”.


Antifa is the the shortened version of "anti-fascism" and anifaschistisch, the German way of pronunciation of "anti-fascist".

You could consider the family who hid Anne Frank and her family supporters of antifa.

The idea of a militant group also follows the definition in other dictionaries, which isn’t untrue, but at the same time it isn’t the complete truth. Militant groups were formed within the underground resistance movement against Nazis, which at that time didn’t have a name and wasn't the entire representation of those who followed the antifa movement. You could consider the family who hid Anne Frank and her family supporters of antifa.

“The argument is that militant anti-fascism is inherently self-defense because of the historically documented violence that fascists pose, especially to marginalized people,” said Mark Bray, a history lecturer at Rutgers University and the author of “Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook.”

"@Antifa_US was actually built linked to a group of far-right, antisemitic activists, Identity Evropa" -Twitter


@Antifa_UA is a fake antifa account

Now if you turn to Fox News or search antifa you’ll receive false and mixed messages calling any radial protester an Antifa member. Even videos that were tweeted days ago are resurfacing while calling people in the video "terrorist antifa members". Far-right groups have created threatening messages that are said to be from antifa members (which there is no leader or real member). Far right leaders are also sharing these messages, which in some cases has brought real fear to people who consider themselves to live in "white neighborhoods", the targeted threat by these fake accounts.


"@Antifa_US was actually built linked to a group of far-right, antisemitic activists, Identity Evropa", according to a Twitter spokesperson. The account has since been taken down as it violated Twitter's User Rights and Rules by promoting violence and specifically for being a fake account.


Why does the far right hate antifa?


2017, Charlottesville raised attention to the antifa movement as protesters who were promoters of antifa showed up at the "Unite the Right" in protest to the event. The organized event was formed by a group of white "far-right" (supremacists) and were allowed to march as it was considered free speech.


Few of you may remember when Cornel West linked arms at the rally which was full of white nationalists mixed with anti-fascists. Eventually the scene, which began as peaceful, erupted with mace and water bottles and then turned violent as makeshift weapons were branded and used. Then was the most anti-famous moment where a car being driven by a far-right activist plowed through the crowd of anti-far-right and killed a woman. A scene that should have been labeled as domestic-terrorism was quickly brushed under the rug by the right.



After the event in Charlottesville began the ramped up far-right opposition of antifa and far-right media labelled of those who followed the antifa movement as terrorists. For years the far right has been trying to label antifa as a terrorist group, from creating fake Antifa accounts that display disturbing images and statements to promoting them as an actual terrorist group through out far right media.


Antifa in the media today


Since the president has announced that Antifa is to blame for all of the damage and chaos, labeling the group on Twitter as a terrorist group, there have been numerous postings by those who claim to represent antifa and the postings are both lewd and ludicrous. Some anti-government individuals have adopted the antifa badge (originated in WII by anti-Nazi underground movements) and are creating social media pages and claim to represent antifa while promoting rioting during the protests that have gone on for the past week.


Now, any white man who is seen to be antagonizing the protests is labeled as a member of antifa, which well, anyone who is against fascism could be labelled as a "member" of antifa. The hashtag #AntifaTerrorist is circulating



My Grandfather, the OG antifa


My own grandfather, a half Jew born in Germany, was a part of an underground militant group who preformed anti-Nazi tactics. He later infiltrated as a Nazi himself while becoming one of the original O.S.S. officers/agents. When I see the term "antifa" being labeled as a terrorist group, it holds no residence in America as the original "antifa members" were actually original O.S.S. officers, what is now the C.I.A. and anyone who has fought against communism or fascism.


People who are leading anarchists and call themselves a member of antifa aren’t really members because the purpose of Antifa is that it is a movement, not a group of persons. Lately 'antifa' has been associated with anyone who is anti-far-right and the far right likes to label anyone who is part of the far-left as a member of Antifa, which completely sullies the original idea of the movement.




32 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comentarios


RECIPES AND RESTAURANT REVIEWS

LIKE WHAT YOU'VE SEEN AND READ?

Phinally Phoenician Phoenix Food Blog
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

LET ME KNOW!

© 2022| Kara Machowski | karamachowski@gmail.com

bottom of page