Radical members of anti-fascist groups have taken the spotlight

The “anti-fascist group,” Antifa, has used violence and intimidation to spread their message. However, hypocrisy is the only message that comes across to their audience.

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The “anti-fascist group,” Antifa, has used violence and intimidation to spread their message. However, hypocrisy is the only message that comes across to their audience.

Mitchell Smith, Staff Writer
May 16, 2017

In the past months, numerous conservative events and speeches have been interrupted by radical anti-fascist groups.

In the month of February, conservative Milo Yiannopoulos, a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, was scheduled to speak at University of California Berkeley, a highly liberal college in California.

However, radical anti-fascists at Berkeley had a different idea.  Members donning masks and black clothes took to the campus and violently attacked supporters of Donald Trump, as well as campus streetlights.

The Berkeley anti-fascists shot fireworks into the building where the speech was scheduled to be given, smashed windows, and destroyed multiple lights fixtures. Those wearing apparel supporting Donald Trump were singled out and violently attacked, just for expressing their First Amendment right.

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Soon after this event, Ann Coulter, also a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, was scheduled to speak at UC Berkeley. Radical anti-fascist  members once again rioted on campus. Even with this violence, the Mayor of Berkeley had the audacity to call out Coulter for the cause of this violence, even though she did nothing wrong.

Many of the Berkeley Antifa members have been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump and his administration since his election. At several riots the organization has yelled out “**** you Trump!’’ and “**** Trump!’’, claiming that he will destroy America and will take their rights away. They also declared him as racist and fascist.

However, the Berkeley Antifa has been doing everything they claim to be against. Some members of the group physically attacked those who have different opinions than them, and riot whenever there’s a speaker they don’t agree with.

It is true that Donald Trump and his administration are not perfect. With that being said, Donald Trump and his supporters have never taken to the streets and rioted over the opinions of other people.

Through the methods that members of the Berkeley Antifa group have used, they have become a domestic terrorist organization. As defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, a terrorist is “a person who unlawfully uses violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.” Berkeley Antifa perfectly fits that definition.

If Berkeley Antifa truly wants to get their message across, they have to be tolerant. There is never a reason to riot in the streets, attack people, and damage property over an event one does not agree with.