Antifa & Their Supporters

By Juan Gonzalez

The first fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini, defined fascism as:

...everything in the state, nothing against the state, nothing outside the state. The Fascist conception of the state is all-embracing; outside of it no human or spiritual values can exist...

German and Italian fascist regimes of the 1930's demonstrated that, in practicality, a nation state's powers should be protected and promoted at all costs, that no sacrifice is too great to make for its perpetuation. It culminated in a form of socialism that asserted social injustices as racial in origin. It was in direct response to this socialism that the first anti-fascists began to surface.

Fascism as a governmental structure and philosophy reached its heyday in the '30s and '40s with Italy and Germany leading the way. It was fascist nations that formed the primary Axis powers in World War II, and when the Axis powers were defeated, fascism lost its teeth.

With the rise in popularity of punk rock music in the late '70s and '80s, anti-fascism enjoyed a renaissance in the anarchistic and anti-authority youth most often associated with punk subculture. They reorganized under the name "Anti-Racist Action," and often traveled with rock bands to confront, sometimes violently, the skinheads and neo-Nazis that were also closely associated with the punk scene.

This modern iteration of Antifa gained notoriety during Donald Trump's 2016 presidential bid and the American media's accusation of "alt-right" sympathies within his campaign. Antifa, after asserting President Trump to be an incarnation of Hitler, went on to identify anyone who supported any part of Trump's platform, or did not directly oppose him, as fascist.

Since Trump's election, Antifa groups have sprung up throughout the U.S. Rumors and facts have connected them to numerous violent riots, including those in Berkeley, CA; Portland, OR; Charlottesville, VA; Washington D.C.; Stone Mountain, GA; and Minneapolis MN.

What makes Antifa dangerous?
While Antifa members claim that Antifa is a set of ideas and not an organization, local chapters have sprung up across the Pacific Northwest with loose inner rings of acknowledged leaders. They claim to be anti-fascist, yet many of their demands seem to drive us closer to a state controlled, fascist society. These demands include the suppression of free speech, publicly run healthcare, state run media, and a universal basic income.

During their modern resurgence, coinciding with the punk movement, they shifted their target from easily identified fascist regimes to more ambiguous ones: people and ideas they deemed as fascist. This shift to ideas and individuals as targets meant that Antifa would be regulated to the fringe of the American culture war. That is, until the 2016 Presidential Election.

Donald Trump's election in 2016 was the perfect catalyst for Antifa as a movement. He was a rich, white, male Republican who promised to make changes to the status quo. Antifa used the devoutness of Trump's followers and the utter hatred of his detractors to great effect, enjoying approval by the Democratic establishment despite the violent exploits of its various chapters.

Antifa's public position is that they are anti-violence but will respond with violence, if the need arises. This is contradicted by eyewitness testimony and the federal government.

Antifa has been recorded instigating countless assaults against peaceful demonstrators whose message Antifa deemed intolerable. These attacks are not surprising, as Antifa's public position is the suppression of any speech, action, or event they perceive as hateful or "fascist." This suppression is effected by any means necessary, including slander and violence.

The chaos occurring all over the U.S. is in part due to Antifa's apparent inability to engage in civil discourse. This inability stems from Antifa's intentionally inflammatory redefinition of common classifications. Take their definition of fascist, for instance.

According to Antifa, if you are pro-border-wall, then you are a fascist. If you are a Republican, you are fascist. Pro-life...you're a fascist. Pro-cop or pro-military...you're a fascist. Business owner, probably fascist. Support President Trump, absolutely fascist. If you are a fascist, then you are also considered a racist and deserve to be silenced.

This intellectual aberration, when coupled with a moral imperative to "punch Nazis" – that is, to violently assault "fascists" – renders its members and supporters emotionally incapable of meaningful debate. The original definition of "fascist" has been abandoned. The sole authority on the subject are Antifa members and their supporters.

While Antifa has plenty of "hard support," perhaps their most powerful weapon is their "soft support." These are people who may not be members or in any way officially involved in the Antifa network, but express their sympathy for the group itself by promoting its basic tenets. These activists sometimes slander those who have been labeled as fascist and boycott their businesses, accruing virtue as they vilify the institutions and people targeted by more fanatical agitators.

The Fight
"Sip on 1st" is a small family run coffee stand that was started in 2016 by then 18 year-old Yarithza Aguilar. The shop, located in Yakima, is known for its elaborate and flavorful fruit creations.

Yarithza is a Hispanic female, and all of her employees are Hispanic. Even though she's incredibly busy running her business, Yarithza likes to stay informed and keeps an eye on the news. Her support for Black Lives Matter and the peaceful protests has remained steadfast throughout the recent national turmoil.

The trouble started June 2nd on what, in today's society, is the most common cultural battleground, social media. It began when Yarithza posted a black square on the business Instagram page, along with countless others, in solidarity with #blackouttuesday and the black community. The comments started out supportive and encouraging, but soon those comments grew caustic.

Yarithza was accused of not being supportive enough to Black Lives Matter (BLM) and was predictably labeled "racist" for having worn an Indian costume on Halloween in 2018. Several people demanded that, in order to prove her innocence, she make a donation to BLM and post the receipt on social media.

She replied that for her to share this information publicly "would have gone against how her parents had raised her." Growing up, she was taught that if someone donated to a charity or a cause, bragging was unseemly.

Her accusers rejected this explanation and instead threatened to boycott her business, or worse. When she refused to change her position and publish a receipt, these champions of tolerance then began to hurl racial slurs at her and her immediate family, sharing messages on social media and calling for an all-out boycott of her business.

One of them, under the name of Ricky Acosta, called for people to "Vandalize the [expletive] outta their business." Another protester declared that they would "burn that [expletive] down" with Acosta agreeing and outlining a staring time and location for the related protest and march.

These posts were shared over 500 times with details of a plan for all those interested to meet at Walmart the upcoming Friday at 5 p.m., and then head to Sip on 1st to carry out the threat. The boycott had an immediate effect on her business, as the usual steady flow of traffic slowed to barely a trickle, and she pondered closing until things blew over.

Yarithza, shaken by the threats, went to the police station to report the incident. She also contacted her city councilman, Jason White. He visited the business on June 4th and hosted a Facebook livestream.

After sharing details of the boycott and threats, the community began to rally around the young woman. A response was almost immediate, with Yakima residents lining up around the building and down the street to buy drinks, donate cash, and offer words of encouragement.

While serving this unexpected deluge of customers, it was discovered that many of them were there for the first time and were thrilled both with the quality of the product and the opportunity to support the beleaguered family.

The next day, a call went out to members of the community who were sympathetic, many of whom were asked to make their presence known at the coffee stand. This included a group of local bikers, former soldiers, some young men from a local church group, friends of the Aguilars, and the property owner.

The day the protests and vandalism were scheduled to take place arrived. The Terrace Heights Walmart, where the protesters were scheduled to meet, as well as the local Target, a hotel, and a few other businesses, closed early, with a few barricading their entrances. A downtown bank boarded up their doors and windows and posted extra security. A few local pawn shops and other types of businesses that are susceptible to rioting and looting were warned to be extra vigilant. People were seen on rooftops with what appeared to be rifles.

That Friday evening, a group of 30 or so local citizens showed up at Sip on 1st to demonstrate their support for this local family run business, exercising both their 1st and 2nd Amendment rights. The line at the shop was down the block much of the evening, and it was not until more than 3 hours past closing that the final satisfied customer was served, and the Aguilars were able to clean up for the night.

The Aguilars were completely overwhelmed by the response of the community. They were grateful for those who had stood watch and those who had frequented the shop. They could barely contain themselves and were on the verge of tears on more than one occasion. Yarithza's younger brother was especially thankful and made several rounds shaking hands, expressing his gratitude to each person. The sense of brotherhood and community had been contagious. The Aguilars seemed proud to be one of the disgruntled few in Yakima who stood up to the bad guys.

Ricky Acosta never showed up. No fire was started, no windows broken, but Antifa's presence was definitely felt. On several occasions, people could be seen filming from around corners and across the street. People would sometimes drive by and make obscene gestures. Online, people continued to rant and rage. This family's call to the community and the ensuing support earned them the label "white privileged."

Closing Thoughts
Wikipedia defines fascism as:

Intolerance of political opponents, suppression of freedom of speech, and lack of respect for the democratic principles of a majority vote as well as exclusion or isolation of other democratic parties and the use of violence.

Fascism, true fascism, must be met with bold defiance until it surrenders its barbarism and vindictive ideology. It would have been "safe" for the Aguilars to give in to the demand that they publish the receipt of a donation to BLM.

But they didn't.

Be like the Aguilars. Be like Yakima. Fight Evil.