When You Don’t Confront the Fascists, They Attack the City

I’ve seen it a hundred times, folks.

For the purposes of this article, “fascists” will be used to refer to a loose-knit association of small groups who have repeatedly assembled in and around the city of Portland in order to express support for the Police and for Donald Trump (Patriot Prayer, Proud Boys, 3% Militia, et al.); as well as the not-unrelated gangs who assembled to commit racist violence in the 1980s and 90s (skinheads, White Aryan Resistance, KKK, et al.) I do this not to indicate that these movements are identical — they are not — but to identify commonalities in responding to their violent attacks on cities. I’ve been personally doing this since roughly 1987. There’s a method to it.

The thing is to gather in advance at the place they intend to meet. If a sufficient anti-fascist force shows up early, the fascists are met with an overwhelming disparity of numbers. Put 10,000 anti-fascists in the street, and the bastards might just stay in their trucks and drive on home. If not, then they will do their best to enter the designated meeting place, sometimes (often) under police protection. The cops will line up with their backs to the fash and defend them. That sucks, but it’s the rules of this playing field. Their mob and our mob face off from opposing sides of this line of riot cops…