FBI, Homeland Security warn of more 'antifa' attacks

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico




Confidential documents call the anarchists that seek to counter white supremacists ‘domestic terrorists.’

By JOSH MEYER 09/01/2017 04:55 AM EDT

Federal authorities have been warning state and local officials since early 2016 that leftist extremists known as “antifa” had become increasingly confrontational and dangerous, so much so that the Department of Homeland Security formally classified their activities as “domestic terrorist violence,” according to interviews and confidential law enforcement documents obtained by POLITICO.

Since well before the Aug. 12 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, turned deadly, DHS has been issuing warnings about the growing likelihood of lethal violence between the left-wing anarchists and right-wing white supremacist and nationalist groups.

Previously unreported documents disclose that by April 2016, authorities believed that “anarchist extremists” were the primary instigators of violence at public rallies against a range of targets. They were blamed by authorities for attacks on the police, government and political institutions, along with symbols of “the capitalist system,” racism, social injustice and fascism, according to a confidential 2016 joint intelligence assessment by DHS and the FBI.

After President Donald Trump’s election in November, the antifa activists locked onto another target — his supporters, especially those from white supremacist and nationalist groups suddenly turning out in droves to hail his victory, support crackdowns on immigrants and Muslims and to protest efforts to remove symbols of the Confederacy.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/01/antifa-charlottesville-violence-fbi-242235

[bucolic_frolic]

1. As Reagan told us

one man's Freedom Fighter is another man's terrorist

it's all a matter of perspective, who's in power

[klook]

2. Anti-fascist equals "left-wing anarchist." Uh-huh...

So they'd like us to believe.

[TomVilmer]

13. Pete Seeger gave Woody Guthrie an answer!

[Ligyron]

3. So now they're terrorists.

But Trump's brain-dead supporters are just patriots, right?

[socialist_n_TN]

4. So Antifa is getting bad press and investigation by the cops..........

on local, state, and national levels. They're also getting grief from both the conservative AND the liberal political class. Sounds like they are having success then.

The state can't have the working class organizing for their own self-defense because eventually they'll understand who ELSE is the enemy alongside the fascists. And who abets the fascists. Ultimately, the fascists are part of the defense of the capitalist state AGAINST the working class. Those two are on the same side and it's NOT on the side of the masses.

Remember the assassinations of the 1960s/70s. Same modus operandi from the state.

[randr]

5. The only form of protest that works is peaceful

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/mahatmagan107039.html

[TheDebbieDee]

28. Only if you want to be a martyr...

[randr]

30. The antifa are heading for a fall

Even if the loose organization is made up of progressives who believe they can no longer stand still, the group is ripe for exploytation by any infiltrator that whats to only make the left look bad. This is what happened to many groups that protested during Nam and it is a well documented tactic of the opposition.
I hope we all wake up before we are branded as equal to the racists nazi clansmen.

[TheDebbieDee]

32. I don't understand why people seem to think that Nazis and KKKlansmen and White Nationalists

will just put their activities on hold when counter protests are peaceful... These groups want to eliminate non-whites from this society. That is their ultimate goal.

Turning a blind eye to their provocations will only embolden them. Like I said, I don't want to be any movement's martyr...

[TomVilmer]

35. Pacifism is not passivism

Doing repression of other people with violence is the tactics of Nazis and KKKlansmen and White Nationalists. If you give them the fights they want, you are embolden them. If you want a more peaceful society, fight for it in peaceful ways - violence feed more violence.

[ancianita]

8. 1000+ Hell yes!

[onecaliberal]

6. This is bullshit.

[ancianita]

7. Cuz only establishment media framing is trustworthy, right? U.S. DEFENDERS are the new antifa.

"Anarchist extremists" are usually police infiltrators and their provocateurs paid to justify police beatdowns of otherwise peaceful protestors with right on their side.

U.S. DEFENDERS (antifa) will be framed as the bad guys, as they were in Germany, Italy, Spain and Wall Street.

We here don't have to buy into this bullshit.

They'll hang tough against police-protected hate groups.

[people]

9. Agree with you

And, are there any ANY DHS or FBI documents that call white supremacists or neo-nazis "domestic terrorists"?

[ancianita]

12. Yes! Know where they get their data? 100% from SPLC, which is pro-antifa, anti-hate group,

and anti-police state.

These days, the FBI plays objective with all info -- but it has drawn its past hate group data mostly from SPLC.

Police are lately trying to challenge the anti-hate groups with their own self-serving arrest records, which we know haven't been reported to the FBI for decades on any other groups. That's how SPLC came to fill that data vacuum.

The FBI pulls back from police departments that claim to monitor their own policies and practices.

So we the people are caught between legal territory, professional tradition and our democratic actions.

The fucking think blue line.

[Bradical79]

25. There is.

But remember that such things we hear about tend to be filtered through spokespeople and politicians unless it's very public organized plot like that foiled ambush at an officer's funeral awhile back.

[ToxMarz]

10. To my knowledge, the only people they "attack" are hateful Nazi's and their ilk

[Eliot Rosewater]

19. Where is the link to this attack?

[ToxMarz]

22. I see many links and none are from any source known to be credible. Got a link to that is verifiable

Did you join DU today just to respond to this? Welcome /s

[Eliot Rosewater]

24. None are legit, ANTIFA doenst attack journalists, but fucking trumpsters do

Thanks for pointing out the bullshitters

[ToxMarz]

26. Pro-Russia bots are hyping Antifa threat on Twitter while downplaying white supremacist violence:

Apparently on DU as well

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/09/pro-russia-bots-are-hyping-antifa-threat-on-twitter-while-downplaying-white-supremacist-violence-report/

[Eliot Rosewater]

27. Thought so.

[ProgressiveValue]

23. If they are attacking first, that is a criminal assault.

If the Nazi crowd take a swing first, then it is self defense and justified for ANTIFA to defend themselves. It is a dangerous road to start justifying physical assault on people, who have not attacked you, just because they spew filth from their vile mouths. Because it is also justified for them to defend themselves if they are attacked first; and they are likely to be conceal carrying. I'm not sure you can write a law that says it is ok to commit criminal assault against people who say things you don't like and it is illegal for them to defend themselves against that assault, without the other side turning that against you.

[DK504]

11. Anarchistt extremists ....then call them anarchist extremists

another way the media misses the point once again. They are following the Rethug extremists semantic bullshit.

If someone calls them selves anti-fascists they are lumped in with the anarchists. That's a good way to get the police to crack down on democrats protests. They use the "antifa" (who the hell thought that one up?) to cause more violence during real protests.

[ancianita]

15. +1

[AntiFascist]

33. Exactly...

and Antifa should make it clear that they are anti-Fascist, particular against the Fascist white supremacist core that make up Trump's core base.

Don't forget that Putin's Russian Oligarchy should also be classified as pro-Fascist, and if Trump doesn't end up with impeachment proceedings, then our very Republican lead government may be Fascist-leaning as well, particularly if it is the Russians who help them get re-elected!

[Coventina]

14. IOW: Right wing is busy framing the left for right wing terrorism.

[ancianita]

16. +1 For Truth.

[Jazzgirl]

17. That is a bullshit article.

Sorry but antifa are not the same as the Nazis and KKK. Also, that crap about them starting the violence in Charlottesville is wrong too. It was real obvious the racist right wingers started it. The protesters were walking away. One of the racists turned around and looked at the others and said "lets go". Stop equating them with the racists. They keep marching out the same talking points whenever someone not on the right resists.

[sinkingfeeling]

20. Aren't Antifa and Anarchists two different things?

[dembotoz]

29. since antifa has no membership or organizational structure, the cops can say you are antifa and how

do you prove you are not

and by not proving your are not do you then risk being labelled a terrorist?

Once labeled a potential terrorist the state can do pretty much what ever they fucking want to you

[Voltaire2]

31. my dad was antifa - militantly fighting fascism from 1941-1945.

was yours?

[AntiFascist]

34. Yes! n/t

[BlueIdaho]

36. Sadly, to be expected

With a government infiltrated by fawning sycophants and brown shirts by that piece of shit Trump. Controlling the levers of power means you get to frame the argument and the lap dog media - always looking for a "if it bleeds it leads" story - will sing it from the roof tops.