In the wake of tragic events in Charlottesville VA and Donald Trump's initial refusal to
denounce the white nationalists behind it all the antifa opposition movement is suddenly
appearing everywhere. But what is it precisely? And where did it come from? As long as there
has been fascism there has been anti-fascism - also known as antifa. Born out of resistance to
Mussolini and Hitler in Europe during the 1920s and '30s the antifa movement has suddenly
burst into the headlines amidst opposition to the Trump administration and the alt-right. They
could be seen in news reports often clad all in black with balaclavas covering their faces
demonstrating at the presidential inauguration and on California college campuses protesting
far-right speakers and most recently on the streets of Charlottesville VA protecting among
others a group of ministers including Cornel West from neo-Nazi violence. (West would later
tell reporters The anti-fascists saved our lives.) Simply antifa aims to deny fascists the
opportunity to promote their oppressive politics and to protect tolerant communities from acts
of violence promulgated by fascists. Critics say shutting down political adversaries is
anti-democratic antifa adherents argue that the horrors of fascism must never be allowed the
slightest chance to triumph again. In a smart and gripping investigation historian and former
Occupy Wall Street organizer Mark Bray provides a detailed survey of the full history of
anti-fascism from its origins to the present day - the first transnational history of postwar
anti-fascism in English. Based on interviews with anti-fascists from around the world Antifa
details the tactics of the movement and the philosophy behind it offering insight into the
growing but little-understood resistance fighting back against fascism in all its guises.
