https://patch.com/us/across-america/what-a****a-5-things-know-movement1. What does A****a stand for and what are their general beliefs?
A****a, short for anti-facists, is an umbrella description for a broad group of people whose political beliefs often fall to the far left but do not conform with the Democratic Party.
A****a members stand against what they view as authoritarian, h********c and r****t systems, according to The New York Times.
2. How long has a****a existed?
The original a****a groups date back to fights against European f*****ts in the 1940s. The modern a****a movement in America began in the 1980s with a group called Anti-R****t Action, according to the "A****a: The Anti-F*****t Handbook."
3. Who is in a****a?
Part of the issue with Trump's claim that he will designate a****a as a terrorist organization is that it's difficult to label a****a as an organization at all.
The movement has no official leaders or headquarters. Over the past decade, a****a has worked with other local activist networks that are rallying around shared beliefs, such as Black L***s M****r, but it's impossible to know how many members there are, according to The New York Times.
4. What does a****a protest, and what are its tactics?
A****a members take part in protests and rallies aimed at disrupting authoritative speakers and actions. Many a****a organizers participate in peaceful forms of community organizing, but what sets the group is apart is its willingness to use violence.
A****a members say they use violence as a means of self-defense and that property destruction does not equate to violence, according to CNN.
"There is a place for violence," Scott Crow, a former A****a organizer, told CNN. "Is that the world that we want to live in? No. Is it the world we want to inhabit? No. Is it the world we want to create? No. But will we push back? Yes."
5. Why do a****a members dress in all black?
A****a members will often dress in all black, sometimes also covering their faces with masks, so they can't be identified by opposing groups or the police.
The all-black uniform is also an intimidation tactic, which allows members to move through a protest as one uniformed group. (In the encounter with LAPD they were wearing black uniforms with pink ascots.)