Antifa

Danger to Democracy or Social Corrective? The History of Antifa

Antifa is polarizing. For some, it contributes to civil society's fight against right-wing extremism, while for others, its challenge to the state's monopoly on violence poses a threat to democracy from the left. What are the central characteristics of this leftist radical movement?

The Antifa movement has a long history that dates back to the involvement of Italian activists against dictator Benito Mussolini in the 1920s. In Germany, it was primarily communists who called for a broad united front against the rising National Socialism, although they ultimately could not prevent the seizure of power. After 1945, several parties and victim organizations were founded, adopting the slogan "Never Again Fascism." By the late 1970s, the first autonomous Antifa groups emerged, displaying a wide range of forms of action from educational work to property damage and even violent attacks on political opponents. Due to their affinity for violence, these groups continue to dominate the public image of what is essentially a broad coalition movement comprising various leftist currents, initiatives, NGOs, parties, trade unions, as well as action structures and political approaches against right-wing extremism and neo-Nazism. In his book, Richard Rohrmoser traces the historical development of the multifaceted antifascist movement since its inception for the first time and outlines the tension between civil society engagement and radical willingness to use violence in which it currently finds itself.

A history of a political movement that dates back to the 1920s.