The Artificial Bogeyman: How and why the right concocted the 'Antifa threat'

Demonizing antifascists not only diverted attention from right-wing extremist violence, but opened the door for official persecution of all left-oriented political activity

Stop and think about it: As existential threats to America go, “Antifa” and its “dark shadows” did seem to come out of nowhere, didn’t they? As recently as 2016, hardly any American could have even told you what the word meant, let alone pronounce it. (The latter is still a matter of debate: An-TEEF-uh or AN-ti-fuh? Your call.)

If there was one place the…