By Bill Smith

Last week the State of California filed charges against two antifascists involved in the April 25 confrontation with a reactionary reporter at an anti-sanctuary city rally in Huntington Beach.

National Chauvinist Brandon Rancor posed as a reporter and crossed over to the “anti-Trump” side to taunt antifascists. One antifascist was charged with a felony assault with a deadly weapon and the second antifascist was charged with two misdemeanors of disturbing the peace and resisting arrest/obstructing a police officer.

Despite this repression and potential imprisonment for a maximum of four years, the two antifascists told Incendiary that they have revolutionary optimism; they understand state repression is a natural reaction to revolutionary organizing.

Although the red-masked antifascists at Huntington Beach were brave, video captured an objective failure. It showed disorganized and hesitant antifascists, and depicted the reactionary as a more capable fighter, who was able to deal at least two blows to antifascists. He was struck in the head with a pole, but it was not hard enough.

Additionally, other anarchist activists around Rancor did not do a proper job of attacking the enemy, preferring individual inaction to collective carrying-out of attacks.

Nothing is truly black or white, and whenever there is failure there is also a positive aspect in the form of learning from mistakes. To learn from mistakes is a gift and allows for improvement. This means that more antifascist activists must confront class enemies with revolutionary violence with greater conviction and tighter organization.

To support the two antifascists against state repression, and their upcoming trial donate to the link below: