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Anti-Fascists Are Waging a Cyber War — And They’re Winning
Inside the world of antifa researchers as they build an online army to battle far-right extremism
“Wait, you’re AntiFash Gordon?” a novice investigator asked excitedly, as it dawned on him that the mild-mannered instructor at the front of the room was practically famous — the Zorro-like figure behind a notorious Twitter handle. “Dude, will you autograph my arm after this? Can I buy you a drink?”
It was a punishingly hot Saturday morning in early July, and a dozen young members of a radical Jewish protest group, which I’ve agreed not to name, had convened in an empty sociology classroom at a public university that I’ve also agreed not to name, in a city (or town or hamlet) somewhere in the northeastern United States. They were there for an in-depth workshop in using OSINT, or open-source intelligence, to combat the alarming growth of the white nationalist movement.
“You can buy me a milkshake…” Gordon quipped, referring to a weapon of public humiliation often deployed by anti-fascists.
The mood at the meeting was upbeat but its purpose was grave: mounting an urgent defense against violent right-wing extremism. Skeptical that law enforcement authorities recognize the scope of the problem — or even regard it…
