Over the last several weeks, we've seen multiple protests
break out all over the U.S.,
some peaceful, some not so much.
But one incident in particular last weekend caught me eye.
REPORTER: Anarchists wearing black clothing and masks
attacked supporters of President Trump
during a demonstration in Berkeley, California, Sunday.
Six people were injured and 13 arrested.
Damn it, Berkeley, another fight?
There's so much violence breaking out in Berkeley
they should start offering a degree in ass whupping.
That's what they need to do. "Oh, no, I'm late
"for my Headlocking 101 class.
"My professor's gonna kill me, unless I kill him first.
Time to earn that 'A,' baby. Mwah, mwah."
So, another peaceful protest interrupted by violence.
Uh, the question is, who are
these black-clad mystery fighters
coming for the alt-right?
REPORTER: The antagonists of the alt-right
are really a loose-knit group of activists
who prefer to be called the Antifa movement,
short for "anti-fascist."
Oh! Anti-fascist. Antifa.
First of all, that's a great name.
It's short, it's punchy-- excuse the pun--
and, most importantly, you don't have to know
how to spell "fascist." I like that.
Yeah. No, which, I mean, I don't need
because it's super easy. It's, like, P-H-Y...
You get it. You know what I mean.
Anyway, so-so we know who they are.
The question is, what is Antifa all about?
And that's the first problem.
Because Antifa has no defined leadership.
There's no clear way to know
what they're actually meant to do
and not do, for that matter.
So, for instance, uh, some Antifa members say
that their purpose is to make life difficult
for Nazis and white supremacists.
Why hunt these people down? Like, what is your goal,
-to expose them? -Exactly.
Because no one's paying attention to them.
And sooner or later, they're gonna be your police officers,
they're gonna be your politicians,
they're gonna be your teachers.
They are gonna be people that you cannot touch.
And I don't want that to happen.
Now that sounds awesome, right?
This guy's basically working to expose them
by doxxing them online.
This guy is doing for society
what women do for their best friends, you know?
Just like, "Girl, I know he seems normal,
"but there's something you should know about him.
He's a Nazi who never calls back when he says he will."
So that's what some members of Antifa do--
expose Nazis and racists.
Basically, it's Internet shaming.
You know, the thing that people thought they would do
to Kim Kardashian, and then she became a superstar.
For other members,
the movement is more about friendship and fun.
MAN: Bob and Tom are friends.
They both like obscure Japanese video games,
anime and punk music, but over the past six months,
they've had something new to bond over.
Bob and Tom are now Antifa.
Did I spell "fascists" right?
Uh, I think there's a "S" in there.
Like, how much of this is just sort of like an online cosplay?
You know, I feel like, uh, there is
a pretty strong element of that.
The alt-right-- they try and say
anime and Japanese video games belong to them.
That's not true.
It belongs to everybody.
(laughter)
I-I'm not going to lie.
On my list of complaints of the alt-right,
them trying to own Japanese video games is,
uh, let's say, not on my list.
(laughter)
Like, honestly, I'd be happy to trade.
I think America would be happy to trade, as well.
America gets diversity, and the alt-right gets Tekken.
That seems like a fair trade to me.
Yeah, but I'm playing Eddy.
I always play as Eddy. I'm Eddy. I'm Eddy.
So, that's some of the people, right?
They just want the video games.
And then, and then, some of Antifa say
they just want to burn it all down.
MAN: The world got a glimpse of these tactics in action
when some clad all in black smashed the windows
-of a Starbucks and a Bank of America. -(siren blaring)
Just blocks away, some members
of Lacy MacAuley's Antifa group,
DisruptJ2, swung into action,
torching a limousine and scuffling with police.
MacAULEY: Breaking a window is
a symbolic act.
Windows break all the time, things break all the time.
Yeah, especially when you throw rocks through them.
-(laughter) -That's someone
who clearly doesn't have a black grandmother.
Like, if I ever tried that (bleep) with my grandma,
-she would Antifa my ass. -(laughter)
"Uh, Grandma, things break all the time."
And she'd be like, "And you are about to be one of them, huh?
-"You're about to be one of them." -(laughter)
Yeah, but seriously, though.
Like, breaking a window was a symbolic act?
Like, you might think it's some deep statement,
but most people see that, and think,
"Great, now I've got to walk a whole block
up to the next Starbucks."
Like, who is that supposed to convince?
What are you trying to do?
It definitely doesn't convince the Starbucks guy.
The person who's gonna be in the store,
cleaning up the glass saying,
"Yeah, they made a good point about fascism.
I understand what they mean. I understand it."
No, they don't think like that.
You know, and you've got these Antifa members who believe
that smashing (bleep) is all they should do.
Others want to expose neo-Nazis,
and part of Antifa has only been about video games.
But the part that's been causing the most headaches
is the one that's hitting people in the head.
Antifa is any group that's willing
to stand up against fascists by any means necessary.
MAN: They're not afraid to play rough.
-What happened? -I was walking down the street,
and this guy, like, sucker punched me
in the back of the head.
-(high-pitched horn blowing) -(indistinct shouting)
You see, now, here's the real problem.
It doesn't matter what your noble goal may be.
It doesn't matter what you say you're fighting for.
When people see that, all they think is,
-"Oh, (bleep), it's vegan ISIS," because... -(laughter)
...you don't realize...
You don't realize, when you think you're punching Nazis,
you don't realize that you're also punching your cause.
Because your opponents-- they'll just use every violent incident
to discredit your entire movement,
and they make it seem like... they make it seem like
in a world where white supremacists have a friend
in The White House, the real problem is you guys.
America is waking up to the menace of Antifa.
...a dangerous, violent group...
The ultimate irony of this movement,
which styles itself as anti-fascist,
is it is itself fascistic.
They are people who are getting off
on destroying other people's property.
I think they are total thugs.
...radical, leftist Antifa thugs...
We should also urge everyone to consider pressing this idea
of declaring Antifa a terrorist organization.
They've got clubs and they've got everything.
Antifa!
Antifa...!
He pronounces it like he's introducing them
at the Latin Grammys.
(like Trump): Ladies and gentlemen,
home-brays good and bad,
please make some noise
for Antifa...!