You're not wrong to suggest the possibility. There are numerous examples beyond COINTELPRO where law enforcement and/or intelligence services posed as members of groups they wanted to discredit and turn public opinion against. Certainly the way anarchists and antifa have been depicted in news can be attritbuted to similar mindsets. We always see the Molotov cocktails being thrown, never hear a peep about what was being protested and why {typically international trade deals}.
Having said that, there are some real, sincere ANTIFA folks. I've met a few. {They can be violent but see below.}
And the thing that we as modern Americans seem to forget: Violence against property was at one time considered "fair game." Blocking traffic and breaking windows was at one time kind of the point.
This is perhaps the primary difference between the fascists, who want to crush *people* based on groups they belong to, and antifa, who want to destroy a *system* that condones fascism, racism, bigotry, and vulture capitalism.
Re: “A theory about violent protesters”
You're not wrong to suggest the possibility. There are numerous examples beyond COINTELPRO where law enforcement and/or intelligence services posed as members of groups they wanted to discredit and turn public opinion against. Certainly the way anarchists and antifa have been depicted in news can be attritbuted to similar mindsets. We always see the Molotov cocktails being thrown, never hear a peep about what was being protested and why {typically international trade deals}.
Having said that, there are some real, sincere ANTIFA folks. I've met a few. {They can be violent but see below.}
And the thing that we as modern Americans seem to forget: Violence against property was at one time considered "fair game." Blocking traffic and breaking windows was at one time kind of the point.
This is perhaps the primary difference between the fascists, who want to crush *people* based on groups they belong to, and antifa, who want to destroy a *system* that condones fascism, racism, bigotry, and vulture capitalism.