In the face of fascist state violence, don’t blame anarchists— learn from them.
Caroline Johnson, January 8, 2021
It’s been two days since armed insurrectionists were all but escorted into our nation’s Capitol, and media personalities across the cable news spectrum continue to avoid calling these actors what they are: white supremacist fascists emboldened by our President and the highest levels of government.
Instead, the term of the moment, used by pundits and lawmakers alike is “anarchists.” This usage is the continuation of an alarming though unsurprising trend of referring to any and all protestors as anarchists. At best, it’s a lazy rhetorical mistake — at worst it’s an intentional obfuscation of the truth, which ultimately results in the targeting of antifascists for what is obviously a fascist attack. This conflation is not a new tactic of the media but was popularized and brought to the forefront of political narrative discussions this summer during the George Floyd protests. In LA specifically, it is important to refute this misnaming and remind ourselves that in the face of state violence, it is often anarchists and anarchist practices that protect our neighbors and communities.
“Just fyi it’s anarchists that have been providing mutual aid to keep people safe and fed and housed during a pandemic. it’s fascists who are doing whatever the fuck is happening today.” — Kendall Mayhew, Organizer, Ground Game LA
