JONATHAN TURLEY: ANTIFA kids gear? Democrats think it’s cute to show off support for violent groups

Editor’s note: This column was first published on the author’s blog: Res ipsa loquitur – the thing itself speaks.

A liberal Christmas seems incomplete without the ultimate Christmas gift: real socks to wear on your face during riots. Crooked Media, co-founded by former Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor, reportedly has not sold face masks for anonymous violence , but it is selling a line of Antifa items to liberals who want to make a statement against anything “peaceful.”

Now you can proudly wear your “Antifa Dad” hat to show your support for political violence and de-platforming. Here’s the ultimate list of naughty gifts to bring your sleigh bells back to life.

The liberal hosts and their “Pod Save America” ​​podcast have appeared on a variety of shows and have been embraced by figures such as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“ANTIFA Baby onesies”: Podcast group founded by former Obama staffer sells ANTIFA gear for babies and toddlers

There has been no visible backlash for their support for one of the world’s most violent groups, which regularly attacks journalists and anyone with dissenting views. Imagine the media reaction if a conservative website started selling similar Proud Boys merchandise.

However, Crooked Media is now offering liberals the opportunity to purchase “ANTIFA” baby onesies, “ANTIFA” toddler T-shirts and other merchandise.

To ensure everyone is aware of support for violent groups, a spokesperson for Crooked Media told Fox News Digital that the clothing listed on its website is “not a joke.” The spokesman added, “All young children are anti-fascists until their souls are shattered by capitalism.”

As I discuss in my new book, Indispensable Rights: Free Speech in the Age of Anger, I explore the history of Antifa as a movement that began in Germany:

“Antifa originated from European anarchist and Marxist groups in the 1920s, specifically the Antifaschistische Aktion, a communist organization in the Weimar Republic before World War II. Its name is derived from the abbreviation of the German word antifaschistisch. In the United States, it emerged as a modern movement with antifaschistische Aktion. The governmentalist group Love and Fury was founded by former Trotsky and Marxist followers and affiliates of Mexico’s Amor Y Rabia Law (RCA), which became the center of violent unrest during the Trump administration. century.

I have long written and spoken about the threat Antifa poses to free speech on our campuses and in our communities, despite figures like Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., denying its existence. That includes testifying before Congress about Antifa’s central role in the national anti-free speech movement.

Crooked Media is selling baby clothing called “Antifa Baby Onesie.” (Crooked Shop)

As I’ve written before , it has long been the “Keyser Söze” of the anti-free speech movement, a loosely aligned group that takes steps to avoid being easily discovered or associated. However, FBI Director Chris Wray has repeatedly denied Antifa’s work or violence. At one hearing, Wray said, “There are quite a few of us” — and “Antifa is real. It’s not fiction.”

We continue to monitor attacks and arrests by Antifa followers across the country, including attacks on journalists.

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Some Democrats are playing a dangerous game in supporting or excusing Antifa’s work. Keith Ellison, the former Democratic National Committee vice chairman and current Minnesota Attorney General, has said that Antifa will “spark fear in the heart of Donald Trump.” Prior to this, Antifa was involved in multiple acts of violence and its website was banned in Germany.

Ellison’s son, Minneapolis City Councilman Jeremiah Ellison, declared allegiance to Antifa at the height of this summer’s protests. In previous hearings, Democratic senators have declined to explicitly condemn Antifa and have falsely suggested that far-right elements are largely to blame for recent violence. Likewise, President Joe Biden dismissed opposition to Antifa as just “an idea.”

Tommy Vietor, Jon Lovett and Hillary Clinton during the 2023 Tribeca Music Festival at the BMCC Theater on June 12, 2023 in New York City Speech after the “Pod Save America Live” event. (Photo by Jason Mendes/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)

At its heart it is a movement at war with free speech, defining the right itself as a tool of oppression. This purpose is evident in the so-called “bible” of the Antifa movement: “Antifa: The Antifascist Handbook” by Rutgers University professor Mark Bray.

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Bray highlighted the fight against the free speech movement: “At its core, the anti-fascist perspective is a rejection of the classical liberal saying, ‘I don’t agree with what you said, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.'”

Bray acknowledges that “most Americans in Antifa are anarchists or anti-authoritarian communists… From this perspective, ‘free speech’ itself is just a bourgeois fantasy not worth considering.”

Liberal families can now bring a small dose of political violence into their homes during the holidays, guaranteeing that there will never be a peaceful or silent night whenever dissent is heard. Antifa has hit retail, and there’s no better way to celebrate political violence and rage than with an Antifa jumpsuit.

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As tensions rise after the election, support from groups like Antifa will only fuel calls for violent action. Liberals such as former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz even expressed support for the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan.

Now is not the time for a comprehensive list of naughtiness celebrating a group that routinely beats up journalists and others with opposing views. While this may appeal to your own special loud-mouthed Santa Claus, now is not the season for political violence.

Click here to read more from Jonathan Turley