A new Rasmussen survey released Thursday shows 49 percent of likely voters think the “Antifa” movement “should be designated a terrorist organization,” while 30 percent disagree and 22 percent are undecided, as the nation is still experiencing civil unrest in several major cities.
Protests and riots have ensued in the aftermath of the killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, a black man, while he was being restrained by four Minneapolis police officers.
The survey results come after a former Antifa member told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that “the group’s claim to be ‘anti-fascist’ is a ‘false narrative.’”
Former Antifa member Gabriel Nadales told Ingraham, “Antifa pretends to be about fighting fascism, but then they define fascism as basically anything that does not conform with their radical leftist agenda; which goes back to exactly what President Trump is doing.”
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According to Rasmussen, “Forty percent (40%) believe the mob violence that has erupted in several cities during protests over the police killing of an unarmed man in Minneapolis is legitimate outrage over what happened. Forty-nine percent (49%) disagree and say it’s mostly criminals taking advantage of the situation. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure. Voters see more legitimacy in the latest protests than they did in similar ones in Baltimore in 2015 and St. Louis in 2017.”
The Rasmussen survey had some bad news for police agencies, as well.
“Thirty-one percent (31%) of voters now think most police departments are too aggressive in dealing with violent protesters,” Rasmussen said, “while 28% believe they are not aggressive enough. Just 30% think the response is about right. Eleven percent (11%) again are undecided.”
By no small coincidence, the Washington Times is reporting that Antifa activists “began planning to foment a nationwide anti-government insurgency as early as November as the U.S. presidential campaign season kicked off in earnest, according to a law enforcement official with access to intelligence behind the shadowy group.”
It is no secret that gun sales have skyrocketed in the past couple of months. First sparked by the panic over the coronavirus outbreak, in the past several days that alarm has been replaced by concerns that police in cities are being overwhelmed by demonstrations that become something more serious.
What Antifa has been doing, according to some observers, is exploiting the demonstrations and marches surrounding public concern about Floyd’s death. All four officers involved in that incident have been fired and now face criminal charges.
The New York Times looked at Antifa and had this to say: “Many antifa organizers also participate in more peaceful forms of community organizing, but they believe that using violence is justified because of their views that if racist or fascist groups are allowed to organize freely…”
The story quoted Mark Bray, identified as a history lecturer at Rutgers University and the author of “Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook.” He said this penchant for using violence “will inevitably result in violence against marginalized communities.”
Perhaps Nadales, the former Antifa member who chatted with Ingraham, put the current situation in its proper perspective: “We don’t allow ISIS to recruit on college campuses and we should not allow Antifa to do that either.”
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