Anti-Fascist Action (
AFA) is a non-hierarchical, autonomous network of political groups whose goal is to
smash fascism and other forms of
oppression. The two-flags
Antifa logo is inspired by the original logo of the
Antifaschistische Aktion a militant
anti-fascist organization in
Germany that existed from 1932 to 1933. It remains a widely used symbol of militant anti-
fascism. The
black flag represents
anarchism and the red flags represent
communists, both united against
fascism.
Anti-Fascist Action was refounded in the UK in 1985 by a wide range of
anti-racist and
anti-fascist organizations. It was active in fighting far-right organizations, particularly the National Front and
… Read more British National Party. It was notable in significantly reducing
fascist street activity in Britain in the 1990s.
AFA had what they called a "twin-track" strategy: the physical confrontation of
fascists on the streets and ideological struggle against
fascism in working-class communities. Today, the
Anti-Fascist Action is a global movement with local sections in many
different countries.
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.
Anti-
fascism is a political movement in opposition to
fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant during World
War II, where the
nazis and
fascists were opposed to dozens of
resistance movements worldwide. Anti-
fascism has been an element of movements across the political spectrum and holding many
different political positions such as
anarchism,
communism,
anti-capitalism, republicanism, social
democracy,
socialism, and
syndicalism.
After World
War II, the
anti-fascist movement continued to be active in places where organized
fascism continued or re-emerged. There was a resurgence of
Antifa in
Germany… Read more in the 1980s, as a response to the invasion of the
punk scene by neo-
Nazis. This influenced the
Antifa movement in the
United States in the late 1980s and 1990s, which was similarly carried by punks. In the 21st century, this greatly increased in prominence as a response to the resurgence of the
radical right, especially after the
election of
Donald Trump.