If you’ve been keeping up with the news as of the last few years, especially during the summer of 2020, you’ll probably be familiar with the political “movement” known as Antifa. Finding its roots in a political party formed in 1930’s Germany, Antifa is often described as a decentralized collection of autonomous groups that use both non-violent and violent direct action in order to advance their political goals, which is to eliminate all forms of “fascism” and create a new system based upon social anarchism. The group has evolved over the course of the 20th century from a political party into a series of disconnected but related political groups in East Germany, England, and more recently, the United States.
However, beyond the smattering of biased news articles documenting violent protests, much of the American public does not have a clear understanding of Antifa’s origins, ideology, goals, or level of organization. Conservatives are often split with their viewpoints pertaining to anti-fascists; some believe Antifa is just a collection of cowardly, weak individuals taking advantage of outrage to cause chaos, while others think the members are a part of a highly organized cabal with the capability of destroying American democracy. Andy Ngo clears up all misconceptions in his riveting political exposé, Unmasked.
If there is anyone to undertake such a task in explaining the intricacies of Antifa, Ngo is the one for it. Native to Portland, Oregon (incidentally, an Antifa hotspot), Andy Ngo has been active in journalism for over five years, first reporting on local protests in the Portland State University’s student paper. Since then, he’s leaned further into the documentation of Antifa-related riots, attending countless protests in order to record the violent actions and inner dealings of the black bloc rioters. This coverage has caused him to come under heavy fire many times from both the media and antifascist organizations; those sympathetic to the protestors often try to discredit Ngo by falsely associating him with alt-right white supremacist groups, although there is no substantial evidence to draw a correlation. Antifa agents themselves have gone after the journalist in an effort to silence him, going as far as doxing him, threatening him with death and mutilation, showing up at his family’s home, and even attacking him during riots; on one infamous occasion, Ngo was curb-stomped by a number of black bloc rioters, leaving him with an almost-fatal brain hemorrhage and severe post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite this, Ngo has persevered in his efforts to truly expose the true dangers Antifa poses to this country. The culmination of these efforts can be very well seen in Unmasked.
The book goes beyond just reciting negative personal experiences with Antifa, however. Ngo goes into great depth on the origins of Antifa in 1930’s Germany, their ever-evolving political ideology, their recruitment and training protocols, as well as their somewhat symbiotic relationship with the organization Black Lives Matter. Ngo masterfully dissects both the organizations and displays how each poses an incredible danger to American society.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience and learned a great amount that will prove to be useful when interacting with antifascist sympathizers. Ngo did well with organizing his information within certain chapters and drawing a correlation between the information and personal experiences he’s had. I did experience some subject fatigue about halfway through the book itself, but in general, Ngo diversifies his findings enough to keep the reader engaged most of the time. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to learn more about the 2020 riots, or if you’re looking to arm yourself with knowledge against Antifa and BLM supporters.
Next, I’ll be reading The End of Gender, an analytical dialogue on gender theories by international sex researcher and neuroscientist Debra Soh. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on our latest posts and feel free to read along and leave your own thoughts in the comments!
