OPEN LETTER TO ANTIFA
By Andrew James Gregor
Towards the end of September, Steve Bannon and Milo Yiannopoulous plan on coming to Berkeley with the sole intent of forcing Antifa’s hand.
- They want Antifa members to be violent.
- They want them to vandalize.
- It serves their narrative: the extreme right only wishes to talk and the real danger is the extreme left.
I have been a staunch opponent of fascism since the early 1980s. I have fought Nazis in several different countries. I have been to many marches and one thing always stood out: the CLEAR message has the most power.
On this day, you have ONE enemy: the fascists.
Turning on the cops and the banks washes out the anti-fascist statement.
I was in Berkeley on August 27 as the fascists came to visit the city. I watched around 1:00 p.m. as the police cordon drew back. The black block of Antifa members gathered together, silent. It was an incredibly impressive sight. Also, a moving one. It was diluted as people started giving the cops the finger and shouting at them.
I believe that Antifa can make a very powerful statement in standing shoulder to shoulder, in black, but immobile. Not attacking anyone. Not setting fire to anything. Not calling out the cops.
The message is: we have been fighting fascism for decades and we are NOT going away.
There is a time for action and there is a time for strength in silence.
I will always support you. I want you to be the victors. Be so with strength and dignity, without sowing fear and disarray. You will win, simply through your presence.
Andrew James Gregor is one of the organizers of December 10, 2016, San Francisco march “This Is Not Normal” and is actively involved in Resistance.
