When addressing the nation after violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, VA resulted in three deaths, President Donald Trump condemned both the far-right and the far-left. "I think there is blame on both sides," he said when doubling down on his original comments Tuesday.
Antifa counter-protesters (short for antifascist or Anti-Fascist Action) were present at the Charlottesville rallies in opposition of the neo-Nazi and KKK members defending a confederate statue the city planned to remove.
If you're unsure what "antifa" means, what the groups stand for, or what they were doing in Charlottesville, take the time to educate yourself. Check out these articles, books, and films to better understand the far-left movement.
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Articles:
"Who are the antifa?" The Washington Post
"Yes, What About the 'Alt-Left'?" Slate
"What Trump Gets Wrong About Antifa," The Atlantic
"Anti-fascist activists take on Trump and the far right: 'Resistance is our only shot,'" The Guardian
"Trump Asks, ‘What About the Alt-Left?’ Here’s an Answer," The New York Times
"The Rise of the Violent Left," The Atlantic
"Neo-Nazis Face a New Foe Online and IRL: the Far-Left Antifa," WIRED
"The Lost History of Antifa," Jacobin magazine
"Alt-Right, Alt-Left, Antifa: A Glossary of Extremist Language," The New York Times
Books:
Militant Anti-Fascism: A Hundred Years of Resistance, by M. Testa
Fascism, Anti-Fascism, and the Resistance in Italy: 1919 to the Present, by
Stanislao G. Pugliese
Rethinking Antifascism: History, Memory and Politics, 1922 to the Present, by
Hugo García, Mercedes Yusta, Xavier Tabet, and Cristina Clímaco.
Videos:
"These Young Radicals are Fighting the alt-right in America’s Streets," VICE
This is a good place to start if you want to know more about the far-left movement. And if you want to educate yourself on white nationalism, make sure to check out this reading list.