Understanding Antifa and No Kings Protests

United States

Oct 16

The Real Story Behind These Movements

Antifa: A Decentralized Ideology

Antifa (short for "anti-fascist") is fundamentally an ideology and movement rather than a formal organization. FBI Director Christopher Wray has repeatedly testified before Congress that Antifa should be understood as "more of an ideology or a movement than an organization". This characterization directly contradicts claims from Trump administration officials who have attempted to label it as a structured terrorist organization.

The movement emerged from historical anti-fascist resistance in Europe dating back to opposition against Mussolini and Hitler, with modern American manifestations tracing to groups like Anti-Racist Action (ARA) in the 1980s and 1990s. Antifa adherents share anti-fascist, anti-racist ideologies and typically hold anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalist views, with participants including anarchists, communists, socialists, and some social democrats.

No Kings Protests: A Coordinated Coalition Movement

No Kings protests represent a different phenomenon entirely - a coordinated, mainstream political movement organized by established progressive groups. The movement began with the 50501 Movement ("50 states, 50 protests, one movement") and has grown into a broad coalition led primarily by Indivisible along with over 200 partner organizations including:

Labor unions (American Federation of Teachers, Communications Workers of America)
Civil rights groups (ACLU, Public Citizen)
Progressive organizations (MoveOn, Working Families Power)
Environmental and social justice groups

The June 14, 2025 No Kings protests drew an estimated 5 million participants across 2,100+ locations, potentially making it one of the largest single-day demonstrations in U.S. history. A second wave of protests occurred on October 18, 2025, with events planned in over 2,500 locations.

Organizational Structures

Antifa's Decentralized Network

Antifa operates through autonomous cells and affinity groups with no central command structure:

No hierarchical leadership or formal membership rolls
Small, localized cells that make decisions through consensus
Communication through encrypted messaging apps (Signal, Telegram) and social media
Tactics include both nonviolent methods (poster campaigns, speeches, community organizing) and confrontational approaches (property damage, physical confrontation)
Black bloc tactics used for anonymity during protests

According to researcher Mark Bray, "members hide their political activities from law enforcement and the far right" and "concerns about infiltration and high expectations of commitment keep the sizes of groups rather small".

No Kings' Formal Coalition Structure

No Kings operates as a formally organized coalition with clear leadership and coordination:

Central organizing bodies (Indivisible, 50501 Movement) coordinate nationwide events
Structured partnerships with established organizations
Formal commitment to nonviolent protest with de-escalation training
Public websites, transparent planning, and open participation
Coordinated messaging and strategic planning across all events

Formal Relationships Between the Movements

There is no evidence of formal organizational ties between Antifa and No Kings protests. Despite claims from some Republican officials that No Kings protests are "part of Antifa", the No Kings coalition's official partner list does not include any groups identified as Antifa.

Key distinctions:

No Kings explicitly commits to nonviolent action and trains participants in de-escalation
No Kings events are publicly advertised with permits and coordination with local authorities
Antifa groups typically operate in secrecy and sometimes engage in confrontational tactics
No Kings involves mainstream organizations with traditional nonprofit structures

Membership and Participation Overlap

While no data confirms systematic overlap, several factors suggest limited intersection:

Evidence against significant overlap:

No Kings attracted millions of mainstream participants including families, elderly activists, and first-time protesters
The movements operate through entirely different organizational mechanisms
No Kings organizers actively distinguish themselves from more confrontational movements
Antifa's small cell structure contrasts sharply with No Kings' mass mobilization approach

Potential areas of ideological alignment:

Both oppose what they view as authoritarianism and fascism
Some individual participants may support both causes without formal affiliation
Counter-protests to far-right events may draw diverse participants

How Events and Protests Are Organized

Antifa Organization Methods

Antifa groups organize through:

Encrypted communications (Signal, Telegram, encrypted peer-to-peer networks)
Social media platforms for broader coordination
Autonomous decision-making within local cells
Ad hoc black bloc formations at protests
No central approval process or hierarchy

No Kings Organization Methods

No Kings protests utilize:

Centralized planning through coalition partners
Public websites and social media for mobilization
Formal partnership agreements with participating organizations
Coordinated training in nonviolence and de-escalation
Obtaining permits and coordinating with local authorities
Structured volunteer systems and designated peacekeepers

Violence and Property Damage Statistics

Overall Context

Political violence remains rare in the United States compared to overall violent crime. In 2025, there were only eight ideologically motivated homicides total, with one attributed to the far-left.

Violence Statistics Comparison

Recent data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) shows:

2025 shift: For the first time in 30 years, left-wing incidents (5) exceeded right-wing incidents (1) in the first half of 2025
Historical context (1990-2020): Far-right extremists responsible for 227 incidents (84.4%) causing 523 deaths vs far-left's 42 incidents (15.6%) causing 78 deaths
Recent decade: Right-wing extremists linked to 152 attacks since 2016 vs 41 from the left
Lethality: Left-wing violence killed 13 people over past decade vs 112 from right-wing attacks

No Kings Protests Violence Record

The June 14, 2025 No Kings protests were overwhelmingly peaceful:

Location	Participants	Incidents
Overall	5 million across 2,100+ locations	Overwhelmingly peaceful
Salt Lake City	Not specified	Shooting by rally "peacekeepers" (1 fatality)
Los Angeles	Not specified	Confrontations with property damage and arrests
Charlotte	5,500	2 arrests
Dallas	11,000	Peaceful
Seattle	Tens of thousands	Peaceful

Antifa-Related Violence

According to multiple studies:

Most Antifa activity is nonviolent (poster campaigns, doxxing, community organizing)
Only one confirmed fatal attack attributed to Antifa supporter (Michael Reinoehl killing in Portland, 2020)
Violence typically occurs in reactive contexts at demonstrations rather than premeditated attacks
Property damage targets typically symbolic (banks, corporate outlets)
Black Lives Matter protests (sometimes conflated with Antifa) were 94% peaceful according to ACLED data

Differentiating Actions: Antifa/No Kings vs Counter-Protesters

Violence Initiated by Far-Right Counter-Protesters

Studies consistently show higher violence rates when far-right groups engage with left-wing demonstrations:

Scenario	Violence Rate
Demonstrations with both groups	26%
BLM protests alone	6%
Right-wing militia demonstrations	14%

Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer have documented histories of seeking confrontations.

Specific Incident Patterns

No Kings protests: Violence primarily occurred when:

Counter-protesters initiated confrontations (Virginia SUV attack)
Law enforcement used crowd control measures (Los Angeles tear gas deployment)
Outside agitators disrupted otherwise peaceful events

Antifa-related incidents: Violence typically involves:

Defensive reactions to far-right demonstrations
Mutual combat situations with groups like Proud Boys
Property damage during broader protests

Law Enforcement Response Patterns

Evidence suggests differential treatment:

Federal forces deployed preemptively for No Kings protests despite peaceful history
Portland officials expressed concern about "unpredictable and escalating behavior of federal agents"
Organizers report provocative tactics by federal forces exceeding warranted response

Key Findings

These are fundamentally different phenomena: Antifa represents a decentralized ideological movement while No Kings is a formally organized mainstream political coalition.
No formal organizational connections exist despite political rhetoric attempting to link them.
Violence remains rare at political demonstrations, with No Kings protests being overwhelmingly peaceful (millions participating with minimal incidents) and most Antifa activity being nonviolent.
When violence does occur, it often involves confrontations between opposing groups, with studies showing increased violence when far-right groups engage with left-wing demonstrations.
The organizational methods differ completely: No Kings uses traditional nonprofit coalition building with public transparency, while Antifa operates through autonomous encrypted cells.