CNN published an article on Friday by Sara Ganim and Chris Welch which appears to promote Antifa as a group that wants peace and whose purpose is protesting big corporations and wealthy elites.
The article – titled “Unmasking the leftist Antifa movement: Activists seek peace through violence” – describes members of Antifa, which New Jersey has designated as a terrorist organization, as simple “protesters” and “activists.”
As some Twitter users pointed out, the article was reminiscent of George Orwell’s novel “1984,” where in the first chapter Orwell introduces the idea of double think to the reader:
war is peace
freedom is slavery
ignorance is strength
The article states:
Antifa activists, who operate without any centralized leadership, told CNN that their goal is peace and inclusivity… And their methods are often violent. Antifa leaders admit they’re willing to physically attack anyone who employs violence against them or who condones racism — as long as force is used in the name of eradicating hatred.
CNN’s article portrays Antifa members as victims of society by saying the organization consists of members of “society’s fringes,” which includes, “undocumented immigrants, transgender people, low-wage workers, those who don’t conform to the traditional 9-to-5.”
The article then appears to glorify Antifa by highlighting that they “originated in Nazi Germany,” before transitioning into crediting President Trump for the group’s reemergence – as if they were comparing him to Adolf Hitler.
“People are freaked out by a Trump regime, freaked out by the far-right,” said an organizer for the website “It’s Going Down,” a news blog for Antifa. “A lot of people saw neo-Nazi symbols. There’s a reason why people are becoming polarized. It’s real-life stuff that’s happening.”
CNN also said one of Antifa’s biggest lies by saying that many Antifa “activists” take the position of: “This is self-defense.”
The article by CNN drew harsh criticism from several media personalities, including Mike Cernovich, who told The Daily Caller in a message, “CNN continues inciting violence against Trump supporters. They are becoming little different than a PR outlet of Hamas.”
Late on Saturday evening, CNN updated their article to appease Antifa because they claim they are not responsible for violence. The title now reads “Unmasking the leftist Antifa movement.”
