On September 14, 2017, Ben Shapiro, founder of The Daily Wire and editor-in-chief of The Ben Shapiro Show, was set to speak at University of California at Berkeley– so of course, Antifa was up in arms over his arrival.

Fortunately, many people from all positions on the political spectrum have recognized and condemned the Antifa movement for what it is: a violent, destructive gang of criminals who are hell-bent on preventing free speech. However, there are still many convinced that Antifa is a just and righteous cause that protects citizens from fascism, white supremacy, and the apparent “violence” that Antifa claims is a direct result of anyone remotely right-leaning having a microphone. Fear not: the assault on Mr. Shapiro’s right to speak is concrete evidence that Antifa’s primary purpose is to oppose the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, and their so-called activism is quite contrary to what they claim to protest against.

Photo Courtesy of US Defense Watch

Antifa excuses their opposition to Mr. Shapiro’s speech by painting him as a Trump supporter, a fascist, and a member of the alt-right. Leaving aside whether or not those factors justify preventing someone from talking, Antifa’s tagline “the fight for what’s true…” could not be more ironic. Ben Shapiro did not vote for Donald Trump. In fact, looking at his podcast, more than half of his episodes from the past week alone have been criticizing Trump, as he does constantly. Mr. Shapiro has also spent approximately half of his career condemning the alt-right, and was declared a top target of anti-Semitism by the Anti-Defamation League. This is an issue with Antifa, amongst many others: the blatant lies in an effort to gain support, excuse violence, and to push an anti-free speech.

As far as Mr. Shapiro being a fascist or being pro-fascism goes, anyone who holds this belief is encouraged to try and find any evidence of this being the case, and to take a step back and take a good look at the Antifa movement. For a group that calls themselves the “anti-fascists,” it seems ironic that they crave a position of power, especially through fear and violence, and an obvious, self-proclaimed, and demonstrated disregard for human rights.  

Protest is one thing. Protest is a healthy and often beneficial part of America and freedom of expression. Enforcing a barrier to speech, however, is a completely different matter. Many WY students understand the distinction; Jonathan Evangelista ‘18  notes, “People are entitled to their opinions and beliefs, as long as their actions do not infringe upon the same rights of others.” Violence and opposition to speakers is not to be confused with rallies or demonstrations. Protest is precisely the championed right that ought to be protected, especially when a lack of defense means getting sprayed with fox urine, getting your skull bashed with a bike lock, or having a Molotov cocktail thrown at you.