The left-leaning anti-fascist movement—or Antifa—has been around for decades, popping up in North America and Europe in response to rising white nationalist or fascist sentiments. Now, Antifa has made a resurgence in the US, where members clad in masks and nondescript black clothing physically confront groups of white supremacists and neo-Nazis who’ve started organizing in cities around the country.
Since the 2016 presidential election, Antifa has become a staple at alt-right and Trump-related rallies that often result in violence. VICE met up with a few Antifa activists in Philadelphia who engage in “Black Bloc” actions to find out more about their ideology, tactics, and individual reasons for participating in a high-risk form of activism.
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Peter Sobat
Peter Sobat is a Los Angeles based creative entrepreneur who built his career in television, music videos, and documentaries. He helped develop the hit series Bridezillas, has directing and producing credits on MythBusters, Pimp My Ride, and Trading Spaces, and, as executive producer of Cypress Hill’s BReal TV, created The SmokeBox, which has generated billions of views. His award-winning music videos and documentaries have been shot on six continents for networks including CBS, MTV, ABC, ESPN, FOX, and Discovery, and for artists such as Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Cypress Hill, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, YG, Nipsey Hussle, and Wu-Tang Clan.
He founded BlurredCulture.com, a culture site that has reached millions of views, and The Bakerie, a cannabis brand that grew to operations in multiple states. Today he runs the Department of Peculiar Ideas (TheDopi.com), a boutique agency creating branding and campaigns for adidas, Nike, Ford, Ram, Japan Airlines, LAFC, Cookies, and High Times.