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Title: Forming An Antifa Group Date: 2017 Language: en Topics: anti-fascism, anarchist organization Source: Retrieved on 2020-09-08 from [[https://itsgoingdown.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/howtoantifa-revised.pdf]] Notes: An alternative version can be read here: [[https://itsgoingdown.org/forming-an-antifa-group-a-manual/]]
Anti-fascist groups, often called “antifa,” are popping up all around
the United States, and a number of people have asked us for advice on
forming a group. Because antifa work is different from other forms of
radical organizing, and because the antifa groups themselves are
changing, we have written down some of our suggestions, based on years
of experience. However, this article has been written in a very fluid
political situation, and some of these specifics may or may not be
relevant in the coming months and years.
This essay covers a number of points, including: the advantages,
disadvantages, and obligations of working under the antifascist banner;
questions involving anonymity and visibility, both in person and online;
self-defense and firearms; working with problematic people and dealing
with infiltrators; state repression; and actions to take as
antifascists.
Anti-fascist groups, often called “antifa,” are popping up all around
the United States, and a number of people have asked a us for advice on
forming a group. Because antifa work is different from other forms of
radical organizing, and because the antifa groups themselves are
changing, we have written down some of our suggestions, based on years
of experience. However, this article has been written in a very fluid
political situation (February 2017), and some of these specifics may or
may not be relevant in the coming months and years.
This essay covers a number of points, including: the advantages,
disadvantages, and obligations of working under the anti-fascist banner;
questions involving anonymity and visibility, both in person and online;
self-defense and firearms; working with problematic people and dealing
with infiltrators; state repression; and actions to take as
anti-fascists.
The first question is: Why are you forming an “antifa” group? The label
has advantages and disadvantages, and you should consider this before
adopting it. The antifa name gets you a certain level of brand
recognition and built-in credibility, but it also includes certain
obligations and distinct disadvantages.
If the purpose of your group is to do public organizing where your
members are clearly identifiable—organizing anti-Trump rallies or
supporting refugees and immigrants—using the antifa label and the
traditional antifa symbols will likely lead to blowback that could be
avoided by naming your organization differently. “Las Cruces United
Against Racism” will not draw the attention that calling yourself “La
Cruces Antifa,” and using traditional antifa symbolism, will.
The primary disadvantage is that fascists will try to identify members
of your group and cause you physical harm. Staying as anonymous as
possible is the easiest way to minimize this. Members’ pictures may
appear on white power websites with any personal information they can
find, and many anti-fascists have been injured, even killed, doing this
work. If you are exposed, you will also be remembered by fascists for
several years. (Keep in mind that anti-fascists who are notwhite men
have been targeted more heavily by fascists: women garner greater online
harassment, and people of color have been singled out in fights.)
If you form a local antifa group, you will be expected to do a few
things:
will be expected to document fascist groups and organizing in your area.
This means gathering information on who is doing what, and knowing the
makeup and key players of the various groups that are active. Once
information is verified, antifa groups periodically release this
information in a publicly available format. It is also crucial to alert
any intended targets about specific threats you find while doing
research.
Socialist Movement hold a public rally, if Alt Right speakers come to
town, or if the Daily Stormer holds a meet up, you will be expected to
organize a counter-demonstration. If they hold postering or sticker
campaigns, you should not only take down their materials but also put up
your own; public outreach campaigns should likewise be countered.
for antifa-related activities. This could include supporting regional
groups, or organizing benefits and fundraisers for prisoners and injured
comrades.
any intention of working with the police, FBI, or other agencies; or if
you publicly condemn anti-fascists who break the law: don’t call
yourself an anti-fascist. The cops will be Trump supporters; do not
collaborate with them.
Both the authorities and fascists will be interested in your group s
membership, so you should consider the question of public visibility
carefully before you start. We strongly recommend against antifa groups
being organized using the open, public model of most contemporary
activism because of the risk of infiltration. If an emergency
situation—such as responding to fascist public event—calls for public
meetings and a traditional mass organizing activist model, this should
be kept separate from the long-term group structure.
In fact, we recommend that you stay anonymous both while forming and
until your first action. Anonymity is your best defense, and you should
keep it intact as long as you can. Develop your group, get on the same
page, and decide what you want to focus on. Also, note that once groups
are formed, it’s very difficult to change the type of person who is in
the group. Whether this is about gender, age, race, or counterculture—it
will be hard to alter later on.
Use a “closed collective” model: this is a membership-based policy with
no open meetings. Don’t allow new people to walk in off the street.
Instead, develop a process for researching and vetting people who want
to be involved.
One extreme option is to function as a group but not give yourself a
name, and not tell fellow activists what you are doing. Once you have a
name, fascists will try to figure out “who is in the group.” Not having
a public face makes your actions even more anonymous. If people are
being targeted, for example after a conflict with fascists, a publicly
known group will draw attention first. If there is no public presence,
or no formalized organization with a name, this will complicate the
process of identification and retaliation.
Consider using a cell model whenever possible, in which one member meets
with others when required. For example, you might need a public face to
talk to other groups, club owners to convince them to cancel Nazi bands,
to meet people to receive information they don’t want to share online,
or to table at events. To limit exposure, make sure one person is
designated as the semi-public face, even if they never admit they are a
group member. This limits how many people can be exposed.
As part of staying anonymous, you should carefully manage your online
presence. We recommend only using Twitter; it limits the amount of
personal information you expose and makes tracking your connections more
difficult. Facebook presents numerous, major risks for the security of
your members and supporters. A recent doxxing of “antifa” was the result
of information bigots culled from people who had interacted with an
antifa facebook page. The targets were not even antifa, just
sympathizers, but they were identified via facebook.
Websites imply that your group is more legitimate, and should be used
especially if you want to doxx local fascists or put up group
statements. Again, if you don’t have a group name, you may choose not to
have any online presence.
Individual members, when possible, should get off social media,
especially facebook, altogether. Where they don’t, they should maintain
strictly separate personal and political accounts.
Antifa groups engage in self-defense work. While most antifa work does
not involve direct confrontation, and the amount of confrontation varies
from group to group, sometimes it is necessary. Your group members and
the supporters around you should be prepared.
We recommend regular martial arts training for anti-fascists, as well as
for the larger radical community. It’s a good place to meet people who
are serious about this.
Find out what the laws are in your city and state about a variety of
self-defense weapons and make sure to practice with, and carry,
everything that is legal— whether that is pepper spray, retractable
clubs, or other devices. In some cases, what is legal to carry for
self-defense is considered assault with a weapon if used in an offensive
capacity. Laws vary community by community and ideally a lawyer should
be consulted regarding this.
A word about guns. Ask yourself: Can another weapon suffice instead of a
gun? If you do choose to own guns, engage in regular practice. A gun can
give you a false sense of security and if you’re not in practice, you’re
more likely to be injured than if you don’t have one. Keep in mind that
gun shops and range owners themselves are often connected to right-wing
political groups.
If you choose to engage in firearms training, make sure everyone
understands basic gun safety—as well as local laws—when it comes to
owning, transporting, and potentially using firearms.
Above all, don’t front with images of guns unless you own and are ready
to use them. Which is better: to pretend that you have guns and then
have one pulled on you when you are unarmed, or for fascists to try to
roll on you without realizing you are armed?
However, if right-wingers have been threatening people in your area with
guns, or have already shot people, we recommend you arming yourselves
immediately and getting concealed carry permits, where possible. For
more information, see “Know Your (Gun) Rights! A Primer for Radicals” at
itsgoingdown.org/know-gun-rights-primer-radicals.
A diversity of people are joining the anti-fascist movement today which
both strengthens it and broadens its base. However, people may float
into your circles who put your core goals and membership at risk, and so
here are some warnings:
political views, especially members of some ideologically driven left-
wing groups. If someone is more interested in recruiting people to their
own group than doing anti-fascist work, get rid of them. Same with
someone who seem to be interested in being publicly identified as antifa
so they can gain public acclaim. Real antifa strive to remain
anonymous—that’s what the masks are for!
identity politics than others, and some people will be new to all of
these discussions. This diversity is a healthy development, but
establish a minimum level of respect that must be observed for all group
members. Disputes over patriarchal behavior tore antifa groups apart in
the 1990s. Work to create a culture of mutual respect and support that
can also help bring in new people.
their identity, or who lay out a preset plan based on experiences from a
decade or more ago. The Far Right threatens a broad range of identities.
Also, this is a new situation, and nobody knows what the correct course
of action is.
defending against fascists is a necessary part of anti-fascist work, but
is not the only or even necessarily the most important part. Macho
posturing and an overemphasis on picking fights and physical combat can
be reckless, un-strategic, and unnecessarily dangerous for your group.
around people they don’t know, or who pressure newer and younger people
to engage in illegal activities. Antifa work is intense and potentially
dangerous: We face threats from both the state and the fascists. If
someone in your group likes to brag and talk about various illegal
actions they have done or plan to do, especially when they are in public
settings (including meetings or people who aren’t in the core group),
quickly remove them.
Be particularly vigilant against anyone who attempts to pressure young
or new members to carry out actions that might put them in unnecessary
danger. This is a classic provocateur move with the potential to bring a
group down.
Make good group dynamics and security culture part of your chapter s
inner dynamics and when people make mistakes, remind them in a good way
that they have done so. For those that can’t get with the program, show
them the door.
Over the years, we have dealt with a variety of infiltrators. Sometimes
they are random contacts. Sometimes they are fencesitters in the punk
rock and skinhead scenes who are known to people in both fascist and
anti-fascist circles. On one occasion, a black man tried to get involved
with antifa groups, but ended up being affiliated with a neo-Nazi party
and was feeding them information. Alt Right supporters in particular can
be from the same social demographic as many left-wing activists, and
have infiltrated several meetings and demonstrations, including January
2017 planning meetings in DC before the protests at the inauguration.
You will have to screen out and deal with them.
If people contact you and ask to meet, ask yourself: Do you need to meet
with them? Vet them first. Consider asking them to show ID or reveal
other personal information before any in-person meetings.
The state sees anti-fascists as an enemy. Activists will be monitored
and the state will not hesitate to jail people. Until now, U.S. antifa
have been spared the harsh repression that the animal rights and radical
environmental direct action groups received, which included terrorism
charges, long sentences, and harsh prison conditions. However, because
Trump is allied with the Alt Right, this has the possibility of changing
soon, and antifa may face increased targeting on a federal level.
In the past, police tended to show up in large groups at public
demonstrations to prevent clashes between antifa and racists. This may
no longer be the case (as happened in Anaheim in February 2016), or
police may start openly taking the sides of racists in public conflicts.
This happened in Seattle in January 2017 when an Alt Right supporter
shot an activist at a demonstration; police refused to arrest the
shooter.
Prepare legal support ahead of time; make sure you know a lawyer who is
willing to represent anyone who is arrested. A trial lawyer, if
necessary can be found later. Get used to doing political prisoner
support. Many anti-fascists are in prison around the world, and they
would like our support now. Remember: It maybe your turn later.
Contribute to the International Anti-Fascist Defense Fund
(intlantifadefence.word- press.com), and apply to it if members need
financial help with legal, medical, or other expenses.
The anti-fascist movement has come from multiple theoretical currents;
it is based on an agreement on tactics, not ideological uniformity. In
the U.S., most activists are anarchist, although a few are Maoist or
anti-state Marxists, (in other countries, the movement is predominately
Marxist.) There is a general agreement to live and let live regarding
political disagreements that would be divisive in other activist
circles.
Other than tracking and countering fascists and white supremacists, its
your choice what your group wants to focus on. Some antifa groups pay a
varying level of attention to other radical right-wing forces, such as
the anti-immigrant movement, the Patriot and militia movement, Islamo-
phobes, Mens Rights Activists, homophobic organizers, etc. Regarding
what radical movements you actively support, it’s also your choice who
you want to make your ties to. Today, this is commonly to Black Lives
Matter and other activism against police oppression of the Black
community, immigrant and refugee movements, work with prisoners, and
Rojava solidarity work.
Working with other groups can be challenging. It is not uncommon for
liberal activists to immediately smear anti-fascists as violent thugs
who delegitimize their movement, and others will be willing to inform
the authorities if they suspect illegal actions are being taken.
However, a few will be sympathetic—and we have run into a number of
people who privately have told us they were antifa in the past and
understand the need for this approach.
However, in general we have found that, unless there is an existing
relationship with a more mainstream organization, they will almost
always reject collaboration if you approach them as an antifa group.
It’s best to build relationships prior to any request for working
together, or if this can’t be done, to approach them under a different
name (“Las Cruces United Against Racism”). In general relationships with
Black Lives Matter and immigrants rights groups have been positive.
However, be sure that any conflicts with fascists are done in a way that
does not draw police repression onto these demonstration activists: keep
a separation in time and space.
On the national level, your group can affiliate with the Torch Network
if you are in agreement with their points of unity: torchantifa.org
Now that you have a group, what do you do?
online presence. Again, we recommend limiting this to a webpage and/or
twitter. If you make a facebook group for an event, make sure you set
the invite list to private: many people have been doxxed based on
information from invites. For some more ideas on basic online security,
see: itsgoingdown.org/time- beef-defense-against-far-right-doxxing
information about them, including organizations, names, pictures,
addresses, and work places. These can include Alt Right activists, KKK,
Nazi skinheads, neo-Nazi parties, suit-and-tie white nationalists,
anti-Semites, Islamophobes, anti-immigration activists, Patriot and
militia groups, and others. The SPLC s Hate Map lists groups by state,
although it will be incomplete. You can also look at established
national groups such as Identity Evropa and the Traditionalist Worker
Party and see if they have local chapters in your area. Also, reading
reports by other anti-fascist groups may give insight into who is
recruiting in your area.
in neighborhoods, organize patrols to tear them down. Use a scraping
tool, as there have been occasional instances of razors being placed
behind the stickers. Create anti-fascist stickering, flyering,
wheatpasting, and graffiti campaigns of your own.
organizing in your community. The information you release should present
enough information to convince an average reader that the target is
clearly a racist. Information should include, if possible: a picture,
home address, phone number, social media profiles, and employment
information.Be sure to include organizational affiliations and
screenshots showing concrete evidence of racist and fascist views.
Follow up the doxx with a pressure campaign: call their work and try to
get them fired, and inform their neighbors through flyering or
door-to-door campaigns.When you present your intel, you’ll have showed
your hand, however, and generally it’s difficult to collect more after
that. Also be aware that you will enrage your target by naming them: you
might have been ignored as a public group for a year doing antifa stuff,
but once you refer to a local racist by name, they will fixate on
you.Make sure your intel is correct. You will lose credibility and
create unnecessary enemies if you list a home address or work place that
the fascist is no longer associated with. The majority of research can
be done online, but some things can only be verified in the real world.
Make sure you have your dossier on the subject prepared beforehand to
present, as the first question will always be “How do you know they are
a racist?” Approach venues with a friendly phone call, as often they are
not informed about the politics of events at their space. However, if
they don’t cancel immediately, they will almost always need to be
pressured. Collect phone numbers, emails, and social media contacts and
call for a shutdown. (We have found it is helpful to make easily
sharable graphics and short videos.) Threaten a boycott of the venue if
they event goes on, and follow through on this. In Montreal, one racist
concert was canceled after antifa physically blocked the entrance.
trainings. Some groups set up two parallel ones: one mixed gender, and
one women/trans/gen- der non-conforming folks. In addition to providing
skills, trainings are good ways to increase confidence and meet new
people. (An antifa gym network exists in Europe.)
at events with anti-fascist literature, stickers, buttons, patches, etc.
This is particularly important in cultural scenes where fascists are
recruiting, to help organize resistance to them, as well as to reach out
to new participants and pressure fencesitters.If you have a friendly
political situation, throw benefits to raise funds.Concerts are a
favorite, but be creative! The anti-fascist movement is going to need a
lot of money, and it’s better to collect it before rather than after
it’s needed. Also get in the habit of having letter writing nights and
doing other support work for anti-fascist and related political
prisoners. Consider donating to the International Anti-Fascist Defense
Fund, which collects funds for prisoners around the world.
demonstrations against them with allied groups who are willing to work
with you. You can also join other demonstrations, such as Black Lives
Matter or for immigrants and refugees, with antifa flags and
banners—though he sure to be respectful of the organizers and not get in
front of their message. Take photos with antifa banners, blur the faces,
and put them on social media.
In general, antifa work should be a certain set of practices within the
broader radical movement against white supremacy in particular, but
hierarchy and oppression in general. Antifascism is not a stand-alone
ideology; it is a piece of a whole, just as prisoner support is.
Fascists, after all, don’t just threaten people of color—they also are
against Muslims, Jews, LGBTQ_people, immigrants and refugees, feminists,
leftists, etc. Make sure that antifascism is a part of the other
movements in our society towards liberation.
Especially if you are new to the kinds of activism where police and
others may be targeting you, be sure to familiarize yourself and your
comrades with security culture protocols, and to implement online
security measures, from the start. It’s common for groups to be more
open early on and closed in later; try to avoid this dynamic by starting
out with your cards close to your chest, and keep playing them that way
throughout the game.
It is best that individual members leave social media. This is a dou-
ble-edged sword, but it will provide more protection if antifa avoid
facebook and similar platforms.
Also keep in mind that some security measures are primarily aimed at
keeping you anonymous from the fascists, but might not do much to shield
you from the deeper resources of the state. The FBI has much greater
surveillance resources than the local police, who in turn have more
resources than your local white power crew.
Some applications that can help you with security include Signal (text
and calls), KeePassX (password manager), TOR (internet browser),
Pad.riseup.net (“real time collaboration of text documents”), Jitsi.org
(web conferences), PGP (email & document encryption), Mailvelope
(encryption for webmail), OwnCloud (alternative to dropbox and goo-
gledocs), and PowerBase (database solution). In addition, spend some
time removing yourself from search directories.
An extended discussion of security culture and digital security is
beyond the scope of this primer, but starting points have been included
in the following reading list.
General Security Culture
“Security Culture: A Handbook for Activists”
pdf.resistrnc.org/sectirity.handbook.zine.pdf
“What is Security Culture?”
crimethinc.com/2004/ll/01/what-is-security-culture
“Security Culture for Activists”
ruckus.org/downloads/RuckusSecurityCultureForActivists.pdf
Digital Security
“How to Trump-Proof Your Electronic Communications”
slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2016/ll/how_to_trump_proof_your_electronic_communications.html
“Digital Security Tips for Protesters” eff.org/ deeplinks/ 2016/11/
digital-security-tips-for-protesters
“Security in a Box: Digital security tools and tactics”
securityinabox.org/ en
“YOUR PHONE IS A COP: An OpSec/InfoSec Primer for the Dystopian Present”
itsgoingdown.org/phone-cop-opsecinfosec-primer-dystopian-present “YOUR
PHONE IS A COP 2: Getting Arrested with Your Phone”
itsgoingdown.org/phone-cop-2-getting-arrested-phone “Time to Beef up
Defense Against Far-Right Doxxing”
itsgoingdown.org/time-beef-defense-against-far-right-doxxing
“Speak Up & Stay Safe(r): A Guide to Protecting Yourself From Online
Harassment” onlinesafety.feministfrequency.com/en/-preventing-doxxing
“How to Remove Yourself From People Search Directories”
techlicious.com/tip/remove-yourself-spokeo-intelius-peoplesmart-mylife
Antifacist News And Analysis
It’s Going Down itsgoingdown.org
Anti-Fascist News antifascistnews.net Three Way Fight th reewayfgh t. b
I ogsp ot.com
Idavox / One People’s Project idavox.com
Antifa Prisoners
“International Anti-Fascist Defence Fund”
intlantifadefence.wordpress.com
“Global Antifa Prisoner List”
nycantifa.wordpress.com/global-antifa-prisoner-list
Organizing Resources
Torch Network torchantifa.org
“Affinity Groups: Essential Building Block of Anarchist Organization”
crimethinc.com/2017/02/06/how-to-form-an-affinity-group-the-essential-
building-block-ofanarchist-organization
“#TrumpTheRegime: Resources and Ongoing Resistance to Trump and the
Far-Right”
itsgoingdown.org/triimptheregime-resoiirces-ongoing-resistance-triimp-far-right
“Bloc Party: How to Join the Resistance Interview & Zine”
itsgoingdown.org/bloc-party-how-to-join-the-resistance-interview-zine
“How to set up an anti-fascist group”
antifascistnetwork.org/how-to-set-up-an-anti-fascist-group
“Resources for anti-fascist action”
antifascistnetwork.org/201S/06/07/resources-for-anti-fascist-action/
Recipes for Disaster: An Anarchist Cookbook (somewhat dated, but see
chapters on anti-fascist action and infiltration)
archive.org/details/RecipesForDisasterAnAnarchistCookbook