ANTIFA (Antifa) stands for anti-fascist derived from antifaschistisch an anti-fascist group in early 1930s Germany. It is an opposition to fascist ideologies and people. It is any action or series of actions that are enacted against fascism. There is no single unified group that operates as 'Antifa', rather it is a movement consisting of a collection of leftist groups that reject fascism, authoritarianism, and sometimes the state (government) altogether. These groups may be Marxist, social democratic, anarchist, and more. The only thing linking these groups together under an 'Antifa banner' is the complete rejection of fascism and authoritarianism in general.
First lets define fascism. From Wikipedia:
Fascism (/ˈfæʃɪzəm/) is a form of far-right, authoritarian ultranationalism[1][2] characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, as well as strong regimentation of society and of the economy[3] which came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe.[4] The first fascist movements emerged in Italy during World War I, before spreading to other European countries.[4] Opposed to liberalism, Marxism, and anarchism, fascism is placed on the far-right within the traditional left–right spectrum.[4][5][6]
Nazi Germany was perhaps the most famous fascist state. Nazism and Neo-Nazism both promote fascism. So do other groups, however. Not all of them aligned with Nazism. Some extreme right-wing groups advocate for increased authoritarianism and often a form of fascism. White supremacy groups also sometimes advocate for forms of fascism.
Anyone advocating for an authoritarian state, or rejecting democracy, is at least flirting with if not embracing fascism. Fascism also endorses violence, including political violence against citizens, as acceptable means toward its goals.
A fascist state would generally be a totalitarian one-party state, and would typically involve a strong central leader or dictator, although possibly a martial government run by the fascist party leaders. Fascism involves a police state where citizens may have restrictions placed on their freedom to express political ideas or views, may be limited in their movements or restricted in traveling freely, and would be subject to extensive monitoring and law enforcement.
Due to being a diverse group, all 'members' of Antifa may not agree on what actions and methods are acceptable in achieving the goals of anti-fascism. Some groups advocate for direct action, that is acting directly against what is perceived as fascist or pro-fascist groups or people.
Direct action does not have to involve violence. Non-violent direct action includes actions taken by the peaceful civil rights movements in the 1960s, such as sit-ins and non-violent protests. Some Antifa groups reject violence or embrace a pacifist position. Others do advocate violence against fascism and fascists themselves. Some groups advocate property damage which is considered, by some, to be a form of violence. Others reject even this in pursuit of the goals of anti-fascism.
As there is no one unified group of Antifa, it impossible to say that Antifa advocates or does not advocate violence. Instead each group or individual must be considered and described individually to determine their stance on violent acts.
Just as it is impossible to speak of unified methods of Antifa, it is difficuclt to describe unified goals of Antifa as well. The one goal that can be stated as true of all of Antifa, however, is the disruption of fascism. Some groups would advocate utilizing the democratic process to achieve this goal, while others may advocate other forms of more direct action to do so.
Defeating fascism as an ideology involves not just actions but writing or speaking out against fascism and identifying individuals and groups who advocate for fascism and bringing that stance to the public's attention.
Defeating fascism politically involves both direct action such as marches and sit-ins as well as indirect action such as advocating for and voting for elected officials who are anti-fascist or anti-authoritarian.
As Antifa is a movement, rather than a group, it is more properly an additional label that can be used to describe groups or individuals. Anyone who opposes fascism, is, de facto, Antifa. If you oppose fascism and encroaching authoritarianism you are in-fact a part of the Antifa movement, whether you knew it or not.
Anarchy-X.ORG is anti-fascist. We advocate for peaceful direct action as well as peaceful indirect action to stop the spread of fascism and authoritarianism. We reject initiating violence in pursuit of the goals of Antifa. We support, however, an individual's right to self defense when attacked or acted upon with violence.