In recent years, the American left has often found itself with fringe elements that have proved easy targets for right-leaning commentators seeking cheap ways to demonize liberals. The Occupy Wall Street Movement is one obvious example. It was a "movement" that – however well-meaning its intentions – lacked few clear policy goals and seemed to consist primarily of individuals more concerned with demonstrating their own discontent than making any positive changes.

They were an easy group to make fun of, and one that only helped reinforce the right's stereotype of liberals as idealistic dreamers unable to face up to the realities of the political system.

In the wake of Donald Trump's election as president, a new group has emerged on the far edges of the left, and they seem to be growing increasingly visible with each passing week. They go under the name of Antifa (short form of "anti-fascist”), and, although in some ways reminiscent of Occupy Wall Street – especially in vague articulation of what exactly their aims are – the big difference is the latter was by and large peaceful while Antifa has quickly become known for its violence.

This is not in way good for the left. Indeed, one of the radical left's longtime figureheads, Noam Chomsky, has even deemed Antifa a "major gift to the right.” It's not hard to see why. For example, at an Antifa protest last weekend in Berkeley, California, organized in response to a rally by a non-partisan group known as Patriot Prayer, dozens of videos and reports emerged demonstrating Antifa's willingness to physically assault people who don't agree with them politically.

For instance, Joey Gibson, head of Patriot Prayer, was hit on the head and sprayed with mace before he was forced to leave the park where the rally and protest were taking place.

Videos of the assault have been circulating online and in the news. Watching them, it's clear that Antifa members initiated the attack, while Gibson's only reaction was to do his best to non-violently protect himself.

Antifa has claimed it only resorts to violence in self-defense, but Gibson's experience – and the experiences of many others that weekend – show how absurd is this claim. However, the absurdity doesn't end there: Antifa has called Gibson a White Supremacist. He is, in fact, Hispanic.

Antifa didn't limit their attacks that weekend to people they perceived as political opponents. Many journalists – including one who detailed his experience in The New Republic, a left-leaning publication – had their cameras or phones destroyed by Antifa for simply trying to record what was going on.

The fact that Antifa repeatedly tried to prevent any evidence of what they were doing from getting out is pretty strong evidence they knew it wouldn't be seen in a positive light by the public at large.

Antifa's image has not been helped by the fact that the group's members have a proclivity to dress in a manner that could be described as a combination between teenage goth and the way a college student might imagine a guerilla fighter: The body wear is mostly black, and covering one's face seems to be an essential part of the costume, be it with goggles, a bandana, or a balaclava.

This is one of Antifa's most childish aspects – it's somewhat sad to see a 40-year-old man (or a 20-year-old one for that matter) playing dress-up at a protest.

However, perhaps the most embarrassing thing about Antifa is the group's seemingly total unawareness of the irony of their actions. Attacking people without provocation, destroying journalists' cameras, throwing people who disagree with you out of a public space could all be accurately described as fascist. That Antifa doesn't seem to understand this is just more evidence of the group's puerile understanding of politics.

For some reason, there are mainstream liberals in the media who seem to think that they should defend Antifa. Their reasoning usually goes something like this: The radical right has committed more political violence than the radical left, so the latter isn't as bad and should be tolerated.

This is completely missing the point. By using violence and identifying themselves with the left, Antifa undermines more serious liberals' goals and, in the eyes of conservatives, acts as evidence that the left is made up of lunatics who want to turn the U.S. into another Cuba.

Liberals can only hope the group will get rid of the masks and start doing something productive.

Kyle Burnaby is a journalist from Cheyenne, Wyoming. He now lives in Bangkok.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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