The New York Times has glorified Antifa and its more violent “black bloc” rioters with a style guide, complete with riot gear advice.
In their article, titled “What to Wear to Smash the State,” the New York Times detailed the fashion of violent far-left rioters who enjoy “punching Nazis,” before advising what to wear during violent protests and riots.
“This mass of solid black descending upon the park in Berkeley, hunting for fascists, was an intimidating aesthetic. That’s by design,” they declared, before quoting an anarchist who claimed that covering your face and dressing in uniform “makes it easier for saboteurs to take the offensive against storefronts, banks and any other material symbols and power centers of capitalism and the state.”
Despite quoting the anarchist, who openly admitted that the black clothing and covered faces were used to evade police officers while committing crimes, the New York Times attempted to claim that the style is a safety measure to prevent being identified by “white supremacist groups.”
“The creation of mass anonymity protects practitioners from the threat of post-action doxxing by white supremacist groups, a process by which their identities and contact information, including addresses and places of employment, are publicized,” they claimed. “People at home can use this information to harass and threaten. Similarly, police and other agencies have staff devoted to documenting demonstrations, and they work to identify people on film and video. These are among the reasons that some anarchists and anti-fascists advocate smashing cameras at demonstrations.” Apparently, the New York Times favors the “two x” spelling of “doxing” typically reserved for people new to the Internet.
In their article, the New York Times continued by giving “practical advice on how to dress for a riot.”
“There is more practical advice on how to dress for a riot. One should decide on organic or synthetic gloves before participating in an action: Wool and cotton may allow chemical contaminants, like pepper spray, to absorb, while nylon can melt if you grab something hot, which historically has included some kinds of tear-gas canisters but can include various things on fire,” they advised, before adding, “These defensive methods work only if there are enough black-clad others nearby. A single person in all black and multiple face masks is an eye grabber.”
Finally, the Times claimed that dressing in black militant gear and concealing your face forms an “emotional connection” with other rioters.
“Tactical considerations aside, it’s this emotional connection with other members of the bloc that many practitioners highlight the most in interviews,” they proclaimed. “It’s why soldiers and police have uniforms.”
Charlie Nash is a reporter for Breitbart Tech. You can follow him on Twitter @MrNashington and Gab @Nash, or like his page at Facebook.