February 2025: Anti-Fascist Action Of The Month
Show Them Where You Stand!
Hello friends,
By now you’ve probably noticed that we’re living in dire times. Fascists and far-right extremists has ascended to power at a scale many of us never thought possible and they have not hesitated to use their powers to do real harm at the earliest opportunity.
Two things appear to be true right now: many of us are demoralized and fearful. This is exactly how the opposition wants us to feel. Conversely, there are still more of us than there are of them, even now! This is exactly what the opposition does not want us to realize.
A lot of us are wondering how to push back. We have some ideas about that. In fact, a while ago, we published a list of 30 anti-fascist actions that we believe just about anyone could take on. Starting this month, we’re encouraging anti-fascists everywhere to take one of those actions.
The anti-fascist action we’re encouraging people to start with? Show Them Where You Stand! Wear an anti-fascist pin, patch, shirt, or hat. Put up an anti-fascist poster or sign. Fly an anti-fascist flag. Do something to show people that you oppose fascism and stand with the people targeted by fascists.
This action may seem small and insignificant, but it does three important things:
It tells fascists and far-right goons that there is opposition in the area, which may be enough to make them think twice about taking action in your community.
It also lets the people in your community who are targets of fascist abuse and violence that they have allies and supporters nearby who will back them up if they need help.
It encourages other people who feel the same way you do to be open, public, and vocal about their opposition to bigotry and fascism.
But Is It Safe?
We don’t know you or where you live, so we’re going to trust you to do what you feel comfortable with here. That said, we asked the member of our own collective who is most frequently out around town wearing antifa shirts or hoodies about his experience. Here’s what he said:
”I’m a uhhh how shall I put this? A larger and more substantial looking individual. I’m also white cis/het. It’s not uncommon for people to mistake me for a cop! So it’s possible that my experience wearing antifa gear has been different because people are less likely to try to mess with me. That said, after wearing antifa shirts, hoodies, pins and the like everywhere, I have to say that the number of people/strangers who’ve reacted very positively outnumbers the negative reactions I’ve seen by 10 to 1! I can only think about two or three times I’ve had a negative reaction, and those times it amounted to nothing more than staring at me disapprovingly.”
OK, So Where Do I Get Antifascist Stuff?
You could make your own stuff! If you’re looking for ideas, check out our photo archive for some inspiration!
If you’re less crafty, you might want to buy some antifascist stuff to display. Best place to get stuff is from a group doing antifascist work and selling stuff to fund their work. You’ll find a list of some of those groups here. Our collective have been selling anti-fascist shirts and hoodies and donating the proceeds directly to specific antifascist groups and causes for a few years now - you’ll find our online shop here.
The next best place to get stuff is from businesses run by antifascists and/or support antifascist groups to one extent or another. We have some examples of places worth checking out here.
The one kind of place we would not recommend buying antifa gear from is for-profit operations that aren’t contributing back to the movement. These compete directly with anti-fascist groups trying to fundraise but pocket all the money they collect. If you’re unsure where the money is going, ask the place you’re considering buying from and then verify with the group(s) they say they donate proceeds to (if they say that they do).
Send Us Photos!
We’d love to see how you took on this month’s antifa action - if you feel safe doing so, please feel free to send us some photos (we don’t need to see your lovely face or other identifying features if you’re shy/security conscious)! Let us know if it’s OK for us to share the photos or if you want us to keep ‘em to ourselves.
What If I Don’t Like This Antifa Action Of The Month?
No problem - feel free to skip ahead and choose one of the other 29 actions we came up with! Or go with one of the 40 actions from 40 Ways To Fight Fascists. Or go completely off-book and come up with your own action!