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Disinformation: Antifa manual

Overview: This document, which has circulated online for years, is not authentic. Description: Debunked by Snopes in 2017, images labeled as an “antifa manual” have been circulating online for years. As Snopes documents, the same set of images has been shared alongside a range of claims about the origins of the manual. The language used in the document appears specifically designed to sow division and features many statements that do not align with the sentiments of anti…

Disinformation: Antifa planning violent attacks on white suburbs

Overview: There has been no evidence of antifa or Black Lives Matter organizing or carrying out attacks on suburban or white communities. Description: Although the large-scale protests following the murder of George Floyd were overwhelmingly peaceful, there was early and abundant disinformation about antifa and Black Lives Matter protesters organizing violent attacks in suburban communities. These rumors emerged on public and private social media channels, in community apps like…

Disinformation: Conspiracies connecting George Soros to protests and antifa

Overview: Claims that George Soros funds antifa or is otherwise involved in fomenting civil unrest related to Black Lives Matter protests are false and touch on longstanding, sometimes antisemitic conspiracy theories. Description: George Soros, a Hungarian-American Jewish billionaire, philanthropist and Holocaust survivor, is a frequent target of antisemitic conspiracy theories about his funding of protests. In the days following the murder of George Floyd and the eruption of nationwide…

Disinformation: Antifa’s 4th of July flag burning event

Update: A July 17 report in The Washington Post identified the individual responsible for the “Left Behind USA” Facebook page as Adam Rahuba. The article described Rahuba as a “homegrown troll who uses social media to stoke partisan division” and linked him to numerous online hoaxes in recent years, each intended to antagonize right-wing activists and media. Rahuba self-identifies as a democratic socialist, and says he is “absolutely not” part of any…

Disinformation: Claims about Black Lives Matter and antifa collaborating with Muslim groups to impose Sharia law

Overview: These claims are unfounded and are clear examples of common anti-Muslim conspiracy theories. Description: In early June 2020, during a conversation with a constituent, the mayor of St. Charles, Missouri, promoted a common anti-Muslim conspiracy theory implying that the recent structural changes to the police department in Minneapolis, Minnesota—which he characterized as having a “very strongly Muslim” population—would lead to the implementation of Sharia…

Disinformation: Propaganda advocating for violence against white people using hashtags associated with Black Lives Matter and antifa

Overview: There is no evidence that this propaganda was created by Black Lives Matter or antifa. Black Lives Matter has never advocated for violence against white people. Description: Since the beginning of the protests against police brutality and systemic racism spurred by the murder of George Floyd, propaganda and social media posts calling for violence against white people have been falsely linked to Black Lives Matter or antifa. This disinformation serves to exacerbate divisions…

Antifa pose challenges for police and counter-protesters alike

Article

August 24, 2017 Over the past several months, in Boston, Charlottesville, Berkeley, and beyond, many thousands of peaceful counter-protesters have taken to the streets to speak out against the hateful ideology of white supremacists and other bigots. Among those counter-protesters, a small number of antifa, or “anti-fascists,” have encouraged -- and sometimes actively engaged in -- violence. The antifa concept originated in Europe in the 1960s and 1970s. The idea behind it…

August 24, 2017

Disinformation: Buses of protesters

Overview: Despite widespread rumors about busloads of antifa protesters traveling the country, there is no evidence this is happening. Description: On the last weekend in May 2020, in the early days of protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd, communities nationwide were gripped by rumors about buses full of antifa protesters. On Twitter, Facebook and Nextdoor, some people claimed they had seen buses of antifa driving on highways or even arriving in small towns. Others shared text…

Anti-Antifa Images

Hate Symbol

“Anti-Antifa” images are white supremacist symbols and memes directed against antifa activists. Antifa (short for “anti-fascist”) are left-wing and anarchist activists who focus on directly confronting white supremacists.

Disinformation: Suspicious piles of bricks

Overview: There is no evidence of an organized effort to intentionally place bricks near Black Lives Matter protest sites. Description: In late May 2020, images and videos appeared on social media showing large pallets of bricks sitting on sidewalks where Black Lives Matter protests were occurring—and where, supposedly, no construction was underway. As the largely peaceful protests sparked accusations that protesters were engaging in violence or rioting, suspicions grew around the…

ADL Says Proposed Immigration Law is Cruel, Anti-Family and Un-American

Press Release

New York, NY, August 2, 2017 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed concern over the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act, a new bill in the Senate endorsed earlier today by President Trump and designed to cut legal immigration to the United States. The bill, introduced by Sens. Tom Cotton and David Perdue, would reportedly limit the number of foreign nationals who are eligible to obtain green cards to reunite with their families already in…

August 02, 2017

Austrian Far-Right Leader Compares Anti-Fascist Protests To Kristallnacht

Press Release

New York, NY, January 30, 2012 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned as "outrageous and deeply offensive" comments by leaders of the Austrian far-right Freedom Party, who reportedly compared protests outside a far-right ball in Vienna to the persecution of Jews during Kristallnacht. Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache was overheard saying the protests were "like Kristallnacht," and told other ball guests, "We are the new Jews." One of his associates,…

January 30, 2012

Overcoming Extremism

Following the violent extremist, far-right rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 11 and 12, 2017, a coalition of civil society organizations came together to form a year-long initiative: Communities Overcoming Extremism: The After Charlottesville Project (COE). COE launched to discover tools local leaders and organizations can use to address extremism. The events in Charlottesville were not isolated incidents. Studies performed by the Anti-Defamation League reveal an alarming rise in…

The January 6 Effect: An Evolution of Hate and Extremism

The January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was an inflection point for extremism in America. Though the attack was in many ways predictable – extremists were increasingly active and emboldened across the United States in the years before the insurrection – the overt display of political violence and venom was nonetheless shocking. One year later, the ripple effects of that day continue to reverberate in the form of heightened displays of hate and…

GLOSSARY OF EXTREMISM AND HATE

Antifa

A decentralized, leaderless movement composed of loose collections of groups, networks and individuals who are vigorously opposed to fascism, and focused on countering right-wing extremists both online and on the ground. While some antifa adherents have engaged... Read more

Groups / Movements Left-wing

GLOSSARY OF EXTREMISM AND HATE

The "Antifa Manual"

The so-called "Antifa Manual," which has circulated online for years, is not authentic. Debunked by Snopes in 2017, images labeled as an "antifa manual" accompany language designed to sow division and feature many statements that do not... Read more

Conspiracy Theories White supremacist

¿Quiénes Son Antifa?

Backgrounder

Antifa: definición e historia El movimiento de protesta antifascista, conocido como antifa, adquirió nuevo protagonismo en Estados Unidos después de la manifestación "Unite the Right" del supremacismo blanco en Charlottesville, VA, en agosto de 2017. En Charlottesville y en muchos eventos posteriores organizados por los supremacistas blancos o los extremistas de derecha, los activistas antifa han enfrentado agresivamente lo que ellos consideran son movimientos y…

September 24, 2020

Who are Antifa?

Backgrounder

Antifa face off against white supremacists in Charlottesville, VA

Key Points Antifa is a decentralized, leaderless movement composed of loose collections of groups, networks and individuals. Persistent disinformation campaigns about antifa distort public perception of the movement. Antifa’s professed purpose is to vigorously oppose fascism. While some extreme actors who claim to be affiliated with antifa do engage in violence or vandalism at rallies and events, this is not the norm. Because there is no unifying body for…

August 30, 2017

Anti-Antifa

White supremacists coined the term "anti-antifa" and related imagery to express their disdain for anti-fascists. The term is used widely among right-wing extremists.

Slogans / Code words White supremacist

Election Security_Toolkit_5(1)

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Countering Election-Motivated Violent Extremism 2020 Full Report

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