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Antifa shortfor"anti-fascist" is the name for loosely affiliated, left-leaninganti-racist groups that monitor and track the activities of local neo-Nazis. The movement has no unified structureor national leadershipbut has emerged in the form of local bodiesnationwide, particularly on theWest Coast.

Some of the groups, such as the 10-year-old Rose City Antifa in Portland, the oldest antifa group in the U.S.,are particularly well-organized andactive online and onFacebook,while its members are individually anonymous.

President Trump has singled out antifa as part of what he calls the alt-left in his initial claim that "many sides" were to blame for violence in Charlottesville the weekend of Aug. 12, not just the neo-Nazis, KKK and white nationalists.

How is it pronounced?

"AN-tifa" with the emphasis on the first syllable, which sounds more like "on" in English than "an."

When did it start?

Anti-fascist groups, particularly in Europe, have been around for many decades, notably in Italy, against Mussolini, and in Germany, against Hitler. In the postwar period, antifa groups resurgedto fightneo-Nazi groups, particularly in Germany. In the U.S., the anti-fascist movements grew out ofleftist politics of the late '80s,primarily under theumbrellaof Anti-Racist Action.

What does the movementwant?

Theprimary goal is to stopneo-Nazis and white supremacists fromgaining a platform rather than to promotea specific antifa agenda. The antifa groups aredecidedly anti-racist, anti-sexistand anti-homophobia, but also by and large socially leftistand anti-capitalist.

How do the groupsoperate?

Mark Bray, a lecturer and Dartmouth andauthor of the new book Antifa: The Antifascist Handbook,says the groups "organize educational campaigns, build community coalitions, monitor fascists, pressure venues to cancel their events, organize self-defense trainingsand physically confront the far right when necessary."

A main goal is to try to deny fascists a public forum, which is why they turn out in numbers to physically confrontneo-Nazis, the KKKand white supremacists atpublic demonstrations. They also step in to protect counter-protesters at such events.

In addition, antifa is particularly active in"doxxing," or identifying neo-Nazis and like-minded individuals and disseminatingthat private information to the public and employers to discourage people from joining their ranks.

Is antifaviolent?

Memberspointedly do not eschew violencebut rather see themselves as engaging in "self-defense," protecting other protesters and primarily confronting neo-Nazis and white supremacists to deny them a platform to publicly spread their views.

"We are unapologetic about the reality that fighting fascism at points requires physical militancy, Rose City Antifas Facebook page reads. Anti-fascism is, by nature, a form of self-defense: the goal of fascism is to exterminate the vast majority of human beings.

Political activist and author Cornel West, speaking to Amy Goodman on the program Democracy Now about the clashes in Charlottesville, saidantifa intervened when the "neofascists" move against his group of protesters."We would havebeen crushed like cockroaches if it were not for the anarchistsand the anti-fascists," he said.

Bray says the riseof fascism in the 1930s demonstrates that it wasa mistake to allow such groups to air their views in hopes that public opinion would blunt their growth."We should be wary of those who are more distressed about alleged violations of the speech of fascists than the actual violence they perpetrate," he says.

Where has the movementdemonstrated?

In addition to Charlottesville, antifa forces, whooften dress inblack and wearmasks, have confronted or clashed with far-right groups in such places as the University of California at Berkeley,where protests by West Coast antifa forces, some of whomsmashedwindows and setfires,forced the cancellation of aspeech by alt-right activistMilo Yiannopoulos in Februaryand another by conservative commentator Ann Coulter in April.

In June, antifa forces turned out to protest a pro-Trump free-speech in Portland. Some antifa counterprotestersbegan throwing objects at police, who responded with flash grenades and pepper balls, according to the The Oregonian.

Antifa was also out in force in Juneto confrontPatriot Prayer, a free speech groupprotesting political correctness and hatred at Evergreen State Collegein Olympia, Wash.

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What is antifa and what does the movement want? - The Ottawa Herald

The U.S. president is not a populist champion of the little guy, nor a closet Nazi working to establish a white ethnostate, nor a Kremlin asset, but is in fact nothing other than a miserable rich man, says Caitlin Johnstone.

By Caitlin JohnstoneCaitlinJohnstone.com

Right-wing pundit Ann Coulter went on asurprisingly vitriolic anti-Trump rantthe other day, calling the president a complete blithering idiot, an actual retard, and the most disloyal human God ever created for his treatment of Jeff Sessions and his failure to build the border wall per his campaign promise.

Coulter is right, comedian Tim Dillontweeted in response. Trump doesnt really care about immigration or the wall, it was just the way to win. He likes winning. You dont live your entire life being a Hollywood star who hangs with the Clintons and Jeffrey Epstein and then decide you actually like people from Ohio.

Which is true. Trump and his handlers understood that rising anti-immigration sentiment in America was a key to winning the presidency, but he never cared about immigration and never had any intention of going out of his way to do anything about it (which is why even his deportation numbersare still below Obamas). Just one of the many ways where the popular narrative about Trumpthe story everyones telling about him differs wildly from the reality.

It is normal to have multiple contradictory mainstream narratives running about a president at the same time, and for none of those narratives to be accurate. Obama was simultaneously a progressive champion of sanity and a socialist Muslim from Kenya hell bent on Americas destruction, none of which was true but both of which were believed with equal fervor by either side of the illusory partisan divide.

Whats unusual about Trump is that there are multiple contradictory narratives running about him at the same time,within the same political factions. His own base is able to hold the belief that Trump is a brilliant strategic mastermind who is commanding a covert counter-coup to overthrow the Deep State, for example, while simultaneously excusing all the many, many establishment capitulations that he makes as being beyond his control. Much likeSchrdingers proverbial petTrump exists for them in two mutually contradictory states at once: a skillful hero who is taking down the Deep State, and a hapless victim who cant control what happens in his own administration because its all being controlled by the Deep State.

On the other side of the imaginary partisan divide, Democrats spent years advancing the mutually contradictory narratives that Trump is at once (A) idiotic, (B) mentally ill, and (C) running a covert operation to sabotage America in the interests of Russiabut cleverly evading detection under intense scrutiny. They also hold him as simultaneously presenting an unprecedented threat to American democracy and also perfectly safe to keep voting in support of continuing and expanding his military and surveillance powers.

None of these narratives have anything to do with reality, yet they consume an immense amount of oxygen in U.S. political discourse while Trumpcontinues andexpands the many depraved agendasof his predecessors.

Trump is not a populist champion of the little guy, nor a closet Nazi working to establish a white ethnostate, nor a Kremlin asset, but is in fact nothing other a miserable rich man from a miserable rich family who did what it takes to get elected to the presidency of a racist, corrupt, bloodthirsty empire and remain there for a full term. Everything else is narrative which is wholly divorced from reality.

The reason we can have wildly popular narratives dominating mainstream political discourse for years on end without their containing a shred of actual reality is becausehuman experience is dictated by mental storiesfar more than most people realize. Establishment power structures, who have their hands in both parties of Americas two-handed political sock puppet show, stand everything to gain and nothing to lose by using narrative control to keep the public debating fake nonsense instead of the actual horrible things this administration is doing like imprisoning Julian Assange for journalism, vetoing attempts to save Yemen, inflicting starvation sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, and initiating cold war escalations against two nuclear-armed nations.

If people truly understood the extent to which mental narrative dominates their experience of life, propaganda, advertising and all other forms of psychological manipulation would be regarded by our society similarly to physical assault or property theft. For anyone who is interested in the pernicious ways narrative manipulation is used to keep people confused and conflicted while powerful people roll out toxic agendas, Trump is a very interesting case study indeed.

If humanity is to survive, people are going to have to evolve beyond the sticky relationship with mental narrative which enables establishment spinmeisters to keep an entire nation transfixed by fake stories about a very conventionally evil president instead of pushing for the real changes well need to make if were to overcome the existential hurdles looming on our horizon. Learning to distinguish reality from narrative will send the whole prison crashing down.

Caitlin Johnstone is a rogue journalist, poet, and utopia prepper who publishes regularlyat Medium. Follow her work onFacebook,Twitter,or herwebsite. She has apodcastand a book, Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers.

This article was re-published with permission.

The views expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those ofConsortium News.

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Conflicting Narratives & the Distortion of Donald Trump - Consortium News

MINNEAPOLIS (WFLA/AP) All four officers involved in the death of George Floyd have invoked their fifth amendment right against self-incrimination according to CNN who spoke with Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman following a news conference Thursday afternoon.

According to CNN, Freeman said he is looking at the Freddie Gray case for guidance in the Floyd case and wants to have the full picture of the case before moving forward.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called in the National Guard on Thursday bracing for more violence after rioting over the death of George Floyd.

Another protest was announced for Thursday evening near county offices in downtown Minneapolis. Some stores in Minneapolis and the suburbs closed early, fearing more strife. The city shut down its light-rail system and all bus service out of safety concerns.

The46-year-old Floyd diedas police arrested him outside a convenience store after a report of a counterfeit bill being passed. The U.S. Attorneys Office and the FBI in Minneapolis said Thursday they were conducting a robust criminal investigation into the death and making the case a priority. The announcement came a day after President Donald Trump tweeted that he had asked an investigation to be expedited.

The FBI is also investigating whether Floyds civil rights were violated.

The officer who kneeled on Floyd and three others were fired Tuesday. The next day, the mayor called for him to be criminally charged. The mayor also appealed for activation of the National Guard.

Read more:
Officers involved in George Floyds death invoke Fifth Amendment right, reports say - WFLA

Netflix's new documentary series Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich was released on Wednesday, May 27. OVer the four episodes, the series looks at the allegations against Epstein and hears testimony from his accusers. During the documentary, there is harrowing and graphic descriptions of the alleged abuse.

The programme starts off with Epstein being questioned in January 25, 2012 as part of a deposition in which hes questioned under oath by a lawyer.

As part of his sworn evidence, he states he has holiday homes in New Mexico, Palm Beach, Paris and New York.

Epstein confirms he has been convicted of a crime, saying there are two counts one for soliciting prostitution and the other procuring a minor for prostitution.

When asked whether he committed these acts, Epstein says: Im going to invoke my Fifth Amendment right.

The interview continues and hes asked more questions including how many times hes solicited a minor for prostitution and where he's solicited minors.

READ MORE:Jeffrey Epstein Filthy Rich Netflix release date: How many episodes?

Each time Epstein invokes his Fifth Amendment right and says same answer as he refuses to answer any questions.

A second lawyer is heard saying: Lets take a break. Were going to go off the record.

The lawyer asking Epstein the questions then asks: So you are terminating the deposition at this time?

The second lawyer says: We are recessing the deposition.

While this conversation is going on, Epstein can be seen removing his microphone and walking away from the desk.

READ MORE:Ghislaine Maxwell disappearance: Where is Ghislaine Maxwell now?

The Fifth Amendment is one of the first 10 Amendments of the US constitution, which makes up the Bill of Rights.

The Bill of Rights outlines the rights and privileges enjoyed by American citizens in relation to the government.

Other civil liberties mentioned in the Bill of Rights include the freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the right against cruel and unusual punishment.

The wording of the Fifth Amendment reads: No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

DON'T MISS...Filthy Rich Jeffrey Epstein documentary Netflix release date[EXPLAINER]Royal shock: Why Westminster Abbey bells WILL ring for Prince Andrew[ANALYSIS]Epstein saga has long way to go, say RICHARD AND JUDY[COMMENT]

By invoking this right, a person can stop themselves from self-incrimination either during an interrogation or voluntarily.

This also means a person would not be forced to testify against themselves.

The Fifth Amendment prevents double jeopardy, which means a person cant be tried twice for the same crime.

Other stipulations of the Fifth Amendment are the due process of law, which means all levels of the American government must act within the law and in criminal cases has the right to a grand jury.

READ MORE:Jeffrey Epstein: How did Jeffrey Epstein make his money?

An article from the Michigan Law Review from Yale University, has analysed the self-incrimination clause of the Fifth Amendment with the authors Akhil Reed Amar and Renee B. Lettow describing it as an unsolved riddle of vast proportions.

In the past, people have pled the Fifth both inside and outside the courtroom.

According to the Constitution Center, the Fifth Amendment Privilege can be used by any witness and the defendant in a criminal trial.

Additionally, the Fifth can be used by any witness in a civil trial, legislative hearing, grand jury, and any other government proceedings.

Essentially, the self-incrimination clause means a witness should not have to give responses which could be used against them in either present on future criminal cases.

Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich is streaming on Netflix now

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Jeffrey Epstein Netflix documentary: What is the 5th amendment right? - Express

Since the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in Knick v. Township of Scott (2019) 139 S.Ct. 2162 eliminated the requirement for a plaintiff to exhaust state court remedies before pursuing a takings challenge in federal court, there has been a significant uptick in federal lawsuits alleging a Fifth Amendment takings claim. For example, as we recently reported, a federal lawsuit was filed earlier this month alleging that the response by California agencies to the COVID-19 situation violated the state and federal Constitutions, and resulted in a partial or complete taking in violation of the Fifth Amendment. But as we noted in that post, there are serious questions as to the viability of alleging a Fifth Amendment takings claim in federal court against a state agency, given that Knick did not contain any discussion of eliminating a states sovereign immunity, and at least two courts have expressly held that Knick did nothing to abrogate a states sovereign immunity in the takings context. We now have a California district court decision to add to that growing list.

In ONeil v. California Coastal Commission, a property owner filed an action in federal court alleging that the actions of the California Coastal Commission and a local public agency violated his substantive due process rights and resulted in a taking in violation of the Fifth Amendment. In response the Coastal Commission filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that because the Commission was an arm of the state, the doctrine of sovereign immunity recognized in the Eleventh Amendment to the United State Constitution prohibited the claim. In an effort to sustain his claim, ONeil argued that after Knick the Eleventh Amendment was no longer a viable defense to a federal takins claim. The district court disagreed with Mr. ONeil, and dismissed the takings claim against the Coastal Commission.

Addressing the Knick decision, the district court stated: Knick did not address Eleventh Amendment immunity. Thus, as [the Coastal Commission] argues, Knick did not conceive of an additional exception to the Eleventh Amendment immunity. The district court also noted that while the Ninth Circuit has not yet addressed this specific issue, two other circuits have, and in each instance the Circuit Court found that the Eleventh Amendment barred the takings claim.

The district court also found that the plaintiff could not rely on the Ex Parte Young exception to the Eleventh Amendment which permits a plaintiff to sue a state official in federal court in order to seek prospective injunctive relief because it could not characterize ONeils relief request as prospective as he seeks just compensation, or damages, for the prior allegedly unconstitutional taking.

So even after Knick, the federal courthouse doors continue to remain closed to Fifth Amendment takings claims against the state or arms of the state.

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Cant Sue Here Federal Court Closed to Takings Claim - JD Supra