During the George Floyd protests, President Donald Trump and his allies in the right-wing media — including Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson at Fox News — have been obsessed with the Antifa movement, claiming that its activists were a major source of violence at the protests.
But when it comes to Antifa, hysteria often takes a back seat to facts in Trump’s administration and the right-wing media. Here are four key facts about the Antifa movement
1. Hannity claimed that “armed volunteers of Antifa” have established a “cop-free zone and taken over precincts” in Seattle.
CNN’s Oliver Darcy has debunked Hannity’s claims, noting that “according to the Seattle mayor’s office, city officials haven’t seen any evidence to indicate armed members of Antifa are even on the ground.” Lori Patrick, a spokesperson for the Seattle mayor’s office, told CNN that while police heard some reports of “armed individuals at demonstrations,” it was unclear what their affiliation was. In other words, there was no evidence to suggest the Antifa takeover of Seattle that Hannity claimed was taking place. Continue reading.