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Antifaschistische Aktion, Antifascistische Aktie or Antifascistisk Aktion — abbreviated as Antifa (German/Dutch) or AFA (Scandinavian) — is a far-left, extra-parliamentary, anti-fascist network in Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, whose stated goal is to "smash fascism in all its forms". Some of its members are influenced by the theory of triple oppression; its members oppose sexism, racism, and classism. The point of the organization is to exchange information and to coordinate activities between local groups.
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The group's activities have included handing out flyers, organizing demonstrations and engaging in direct action. They believe that physical aggression is inevitable in the struggle against fascism. In line with their ideology, and as a consequence of being constantly monitored by the police, the group has no central authority. This means it has a flat organization consisting of many independent groupings, without a board or leader. AFA works with other anti-racist groups all over Europe. It is also described as a heterogeneous group which in the 1940s was mostly made up of social democrats, communists, and progressive Christians.
Germany
The first German movement to call itself Antifaschistische Aktion was proclaimed by the German Communist Party (KPD) in their newspaper Rote Fahne in 1932 and had its first rally in Berlin 10 July 1932. May 1932 the communist paramilitary organisation Rotfrontkämpferbund had been banned and after a fight between Nazi and Communist members of parliament the Antifaschistische Aktion was created to ensure that the communists could have a militant organisation to rival the paramilitary organisations of the Nazis. After a forceful dissolution by the Nazis in 1933, the movement was revived during the 1980s.
One of the biggest antifascist campaigns in Germany in recent years was the, ultimately successful, effort to block the annual Nazi-marches in the eastern German city of Dresden which had become "Europe's biggest gathering of Nazis".
In October 2016, the Antifa in Dresden campaigned on the occasion of the 3rd October German Reunification Anniversary for "turning Unity celebrations into a disaster" („Einheitsfeierlichkeiten zum Desaster machen“), explicitly not ruling out the use of violence.
Sweden
Antifascistisk Aktion (AFA) was founded in Sweden in 1993. Their Activity Guide advocates violence against neo-Nazis. AFA members have admitted to arson by timed firebombs, and have pleaded guilty to burning the Tråvad spinnery in 2005. In January 2006, Swedish AFA members attacked the Norrköping immigration office and threatened officials. In June 2006, AFA members broke windows of an estate of the Christian Democrats in Kalmar. In October 2006, AFA members threatened to block a municipal council meeting in Gothenburg, because the Sweden Democrats had been elected to the council.
In July 2007, AFA members threatened and attacked an immigration judge in Gothenburg. The judge's front door was hit with an axe, and the house was vandalized with red spraypaint. Personal information about the judge and other judges was posted in the Internet. On 7 March 2008, Säpo, the Swedish security police agency, reported that AFA or people using its symbols constantly threaten municipal and provincial elected council members. In August 2008, AFA members spread announcements in Uppsala with the name and image of an opponent, encouraging people to attack him. For this, AFA promised to pay 500 Swedish kronor and a free "knogjärn" (knuckle duster). In February 2009, AFA members attacked the National Democrats politician Vávra Suk.
Criticism
Some in the media have called Swedish AFA left extremists. An editorial in the tabloid newspaper Expressen argued that the label 'anti-fascist' was misleading, because the organization's methods, such as stealing the subscriber list of the National Democrats newspaper, and threatening the subscribers are counterproductive and similar to methods used by fascists.