It's a scene that has unfolded in many other cities and small towns this year, the product of fear and conflict stoked by bogus posts on social media, right-wing news outlets and even some of the nation's most powerful leaders.
A man suspected of fatally shooting a Trump supporter after a pro-Trump caravan in Portland, Oregon, last month had described himself in a social media post as โ100% ANTIFA."
Theyโre trying to blame all this stuff on antifa, and Iโm like, โWho exactly is antifa?
Adam Klein, an associate professor of communication studies at Pace University, analyzed social media posts by far-right extremists and antifascist activists leading up to the Charlottesville rally three years ago.
โYou donโt get the sense online that there is an organization as much as there are some prominent (social media) accounts associated with antifa,โ he said.