What is Antifa and is it dangerous?

Team Udayavani, Sep 5, 2020, 9:36 AM IST

US protests calling for racial justice and police reforms in recent months have drawn an array of participants, including those calling themselves antifa

President Donald Trump and some far-right activists and militants have claimed antifa is allegedly conspiring to foment violence amid the protests sweeping the U.S.

Also, Attorney General William Barr says antifa was responsible for the looting and violence that cities across the U.S. witnessed early on in protests against George Floyd’s murder and police brutality against Black America

According to NBC News, Antifa, a loose organization of sorts, has its roots in Germany and the United Kingdom during the uprising fascist movements of the 1920s and ‘30s

It is comprised of small squads of people in different cities, with no national leaders or unifying structure

Their ideology is based around a hate for fascism and a belief that people who are thought to be fascists are inherently violent. Antifa believes violence is a useful tactic to combat violence from the alt-right.

In  recent weeks, antifa supporters in Portland wearing masks, helmets and shields have reportedly used weapons like rocks, fireworks and bottles filled with chemical solutions against far-right protesters and instigators.