Of Note 9/15-9/21

Trump, in a recent social media post, proclaimed that Antifa is a “SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER" and would designate the group as a “major terrorist organization.” He threatened to do it during his first term as president but never followed through. Likely because no matter how hard the administration tries to make it true, the group doesn't exist. Antifascism is an ideology, not a terrorist organization. It's a non-hierarchical autonomous organizing principle within left-wing groups that comes in different combinations of political flavors and tactics.

The attempt to designate the nonexistent group as a terrorist organization is not the point. The point is to use the ideology as a convenient scapegoat to justify further repression of groups who are deemed the enemy by this administration. It will lead to more unjust surveillance and criminalization of left-wing groups that organize against the government. It's something that's already occurring.

Antifa's nonexistence doesn't stop police from surveiling people alledged to be part of the group. FOIA requests I filed in 2020 with the LAPD and California's show the extent of their surveillance of antifascist groups and anyone associated.

Following the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, the LAPD met with then-Attorney General William Barr and the Department of Justice Ideological Violent Extremist Task Force to discuss the presence of anti-government extremists in Los Angeles.

In a DOJ memo shared before the meeting, the department characterized the group as extremists who seek “to become a law unto themselves by violently opposing those who stand in the way of their particular vision. Some pretend to profess a message of freedom and progress, but they are in fact forces of anarchy, destruction, and coercion.”

Concerningly, the LAPD took the idea of antifa seriously. Robbery-Homicide Division Lieutenant Ben Fernades said in an email to Counter-Terrorism Group Commander David Kowlski that they were developing cases and gathering intelligence on arrestees following the protests. The department had the FBI evaluate 500 arrests made in the Los Angeles area, and they concluded there were no connections between Antifa and arrestees.

That's right. If you were arrested during the 2020 protests in LA, the local police ran your information with the FBI to see if you were involved with Antifa.

Also obtained in a FOIA request to the LAPD was a PowerPoint shared in the meeting with Barr. From the creative minds of the LAPD comes their presentation titled “Continuing Protests,” with the subheading, “Likely to be small, peace, absent a new triggering event... but... violent opportunists may use cover of larger event to commit crimes, violence.”

The presentation outlines various local anarchist/Antifa social media accounts whose posts shared tactics and claimed to have participated in “unlawful criminal activity.” The groups, according to LAPD, are “likely to increase radicalization, recruitment, and mobilization efforts” as protests continue.

It shows you who's side they're on when the police and government see someone becoming radicalized into antifascism as a bad thing. Speaking of radicalization, Disney Adults, welcome to Antifa.

You can read through the PowerPoint and records here:

Different city, same terror. ICE spent the week in the Chicago suburbs abducting roofers and day laborers outside of Home Depot. The department has arrested an estimated 550 people so far in Chicago. In response, the city of Big Shoulders is throwing elbows to protect their neighbors.

Protests have taken place outside the ICE processing center in Broadview. People have blocked the driveway to prevent detainees from being taken in or outside the facility. Agents responded in their typical excessive, violent manner with tear gas, pepperballs, and brute force. It went on for hours.

What is notable about the protests outside the detention center is the presence of the city and state-elected officials on the ground. Congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh was tossed to the ground by a federal agent. Evanston Mayor Daniel Bliss has taken the brunt of tear gas while putting his body on the line blocking the building's driveway. Another congressional candidate, Bushra Amiwala, was also teargased. It's a stark contrast to the elected officials in Los Angeles who, outside a photo-op, have been absent from standing shoulder to shoulder with their constituants.

This photo from the Chicago Tribune will make photo of the year lists and features this guy:

Shortly after that standoff, Curtis Evans stood directly in front of the gate with an American flag. The 65-year-old Evanston resident heard about the first protest on social media and came to represent “the ideals that our country stands for.” He said tear gas and pepper balls hurt, but “five minutes later, you’re fine.” 

“None of us have ever done this before,” he said. “All of this is new, and I just wanted to stand up as American and be seen and make my presence felt.”

Dudes rock.

Ta-Nehisi Coates took Erza Klein to task for his op-ed on Charlie Kirk. Klein believed Kirk practiced politics the right way through the democratic ideals of debate and dialogue. You don't, in fact, gotta hand it to Kirk.

What are we to make of a man who called for the execution of the American president, and then was executed himself? What are we to make of an NFL that, on one hand, encourages us to “End Racism,” and, on the other, urges us to commemorate an unreconstructed white supremacist? And what of the writers, the thinkers, and the pundits who cannot separate the great crime of Kirk’s death from the malignancy of his public life? Can they truly be so ignorant to the words of a man they have so rushed to memorialize? I don’t know. But the most telling detail in Klein’s column was that, for all his praise, there was not a single word in the piece from Kirk himself.

I can't believe they played this song in honor of Charlie Kirk at his memorial service today: