The Three Arrows symbol was first used as a symbol of the
resistance against
Nazism in 1932, representing opposition against monarchism,
nazism, and
authoritarian communism. Today, the Three Arrows symbol is popularly used within the
Antifa movement in the
United States, along with flags based on the symbol of
Antifa in
Germany. Anarchists and
anti-fascists frequently use the symbol, usually against
authoritarianism,
fascism, and authoritarian
socialism.
The colors black and red have been used by anarchists since at least the late 1800s, though generally used by anarcho-
communists. The
flag was used as the symbol of the anarcho-
syndicalists by the
CNT during the Spanish Civil
War. The black represents
anarchism and the red represents leftist and socialist ideals. George Woodcock writes that the bisected black-and-red
flag symbolized a uniting of "the spirit of later
anarchism with the mass appeal of the First International"