During a press conference on Aug. 15, President Donald Trump denounced the KKK, the neo-Nazis, and the group of anarchist communists known as Antifa. Many Americans likely don’t know very much about the third of these groups, the Antifa.
Trump’s comments were in reaction to the violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a group that included white supremacists came to protest the tearing down of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The protests turned violent when members of Antifa showed up with weapons, and a female protester was killed after a man with alleged Nazi views drove his car into the crowd.
On Aug. 14, Trump stated, “Racism is evil. And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) noted on Twitter that the violence may have been avoidable. A statement posted to its website said: “We asked the city to adhere to the U.S. Constitution and ensure people’s safety at the protest. It failed to do so. In our system, the city makes the rules and the courts enforce them. Our role is to ensure that the system works the same for everyone.”
