Analyzing OSINT for Credibility

Analyzing OSINT for Credibility
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Analyzing OSINT for Credibility
Anti-fascism in the United States and around the world makes for one of the instances in which individuals or groups express their dissenting views and opinions on the governance of their countries. The Antifa in the United States, for instance, is at the forefront in the fight against police brutality and racism has deemed the government institutions inefficient to address the said issues. Recent claims by President Donald Trump that the Antifa is responsible for the riots and violence witnessed during the protests against police brutality across the country raises questions about its mission, visions, and objectives. Provided herein is a critical evaluation of open sources with detailed information on Antifa towards providing credible answers to the sated questions.
The year 2020 was characteristic of widespread protests across the United States following an increase in police brutality cases. The death of George Floyd in the custody of police officers led to violent protests across different states around the nation, with riots, looting, and burning down of stores across the streets witnessed during the demonstrations.. From peaceful demonstrations to rioting and looting, the protests led to heightened calls by President Donald Trump and the then-Attorney General William Barr to label the Antifa movement as a local terrorist group. Their sentiments did not go unnoticed but instead attracted the attention of media personalities and scholars into breaking down the antifascist movement.[Philips, Amber. "What is antifa?" The Washington Poat. June 15, 2020. /politics/2020/06/02/antifa-trump-terrorist-group/ (accessed May 25, 2021).]
An article by Amber Philips for the Washington Post posits that Antifa represents individuals or groups who do not trust the government or its apparatus to fight fascism and racism or white supremacists tendencies in the country.. According to Mark Bray, Antifa uses radical means to fight against racism to bridge the inadequacies of the government and its institutions to deal with the adverse effects of white supremacy.. In essence, it is a far-left group that believes in taking matters into their own hands to fight inequalities and oppression existing in the country today.[Philips, Amber. "What is antifa?" The Washington Poat. June 15, 2020. /politics/2020/06/02/antifa-trump-terrorist-group/ (accessed May 25, 2021).] [Philips, Amber. "What is antifa?" The Washington Poat. June 15, 2020. /politics/2020/06/02/antifa-trump-terrorist-group/ (accessed May 25, 2021).]
In writing for the CBS News website, Leslie Gornstein states that Antifa is a loose network of local activists from different states and in other countries known more for what they stand against than what they believe in or support. Among the things that they are known for opposing include nationalism, fascism, white supremacy, racism, authoritarianism, xenophobia, and homophobia.[Gornstein, Leslie. "What is antifa? Is it a group or an idea, and what do supporters want?" CBS News. March 29, 2021. /news/what-is-antifa/ (accessed May 25, 2021).]
Bogel-Burroughs and Sandra Garcia echo the same observation on Antifa being a loose movement of activists campaigning against racism, homophobia, authoritarianism, and xenophobia. Members of Antifa also share strong opposition to the political beliefs and ideologies of the far-right, which they believe perpetuate the existence of the other outlined elements against which they fight. A commentary by Michael Kenney and Colin Clarke on Antifa describes it as a loose network of individuals or groups coordinating their protests against racism across different locations in the United States and abroad. The shared belief in opposing the outlined elements or ideologies across the social, political, and economic domain functions to trigger or influence the coordinated and autonomous actions among network members.[G., Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs and Sandra E. "What Is Antifa, the Movement Trump Wants to Declare a Terror Group?" New York Times. September 28, 2020. /article/what-antifa-trump.html (accessed May 25, 2021)] [Michael, Kenny, and Colin, C. "What antifa is, What it isn't, and Why it matters." War on the Rocks. June 23, 2020. https://warontherocks.com/2020/06/what-antifa-is-what-it-isnt-and-why-it-matters/ (accessed May 25, 2021).]
Seth G. Jone’s article in the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) describes Antifa as a decentralized network of far-left militants who oppose fascism, racism, and extremist ideologies of the far-right wing.. Jone’s use of the word militants in his description of Antifa breaks away from the perceptions shared by other authors and scholars mentioned herein. One may argue that his use of the word militants to describe members of the Antifa network symbolizes the radical means used to oppose fascist beliefs. However, most of the descriptions provided across different sources find common ground in Antifa being a loose or decentralized network of activists with shared ideas and principles across the social, economic, and political dimensions.[Jones, Seth G. "Who Are Antifa, and Are They a Threat?" CSIS (Center for Strategic & Intelligence Studies. June 4, 2020. /analysis/who-are-antifa-and-...