ANTIFA really only means anti-fascist, but it is also connected with anti-racist activism primarily in the United States. Fascism is an authoritarian form of government that is associated with dictators with Mussolini in Italy, Franco in Spain, and Hitler in Germany. Fascism is ultranationalist and suppresses dissent. I would ask rhetorically and somewhat sarcastically if there’s anyone who supports fascism, but apparently in this day and age many people do.
I don’t. Therefore, for me, “anti-fascist” isn’t an insult. But it’s meant to be. ANTIFA is a boogeyman in the States and is associated with civil disobedience and disruption. More than that, we could also associate it with fights for equity, inclusion, and anti-racist actions and advocacy. It is likely in that vein that I have been accused of being ANTIFA.
I can’t honestly say that I have ever taken part in civil disobedience. I do, however, see civil disobedience as a valid form of activism for raising issues into the public view. It’s likely you do as well. Ever heard of Rosa Parks? What about the Stonewall Riots?
Activists are sometimes maligned as radical and I definitely accept and embrace that label. At its heart, radical means getting to the root of the issue. This resonates with me. If we’re in conversation together, it’s fairly likely that you will hear me refer to “the root cause” of an issue. Radical means that we should avoid only treating symptoms of the issue, but go to the root of the problem.
Here’s an example: food banks provide a basic necessity for people who are living in poverty. Food banks address the symptom. The root of the problem isn’t food insecurity, it is poverty and treating a basic human need like a commodity. To get at the root cause, we need to address poverty and commodification of food systems. That’s radical.
When people call me names or assign me a political analysis like ANTIFA, I think they are doing so not only because I am radical, but because of my identity. I’ll talk about this more in future essays, but I would point out that there are many people with radical ideas. But when your presence is in itself disruptive and you have ideas that fundamentally challenge the status quo, that’s when you are labelled things like ANTIFA.
But I’m okay with that.
