Last month, thousands gathered in San Francisco and Berkeley to defeat the hatred of fascism and white supremacy. A united front of labor, clergy, students, socialists, anarchists and others successfully prevented the fascists from holding their rallies. Despite the victory, Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin called for antifa to be classified as a criminal gang. The San Francisco Chronicle’s coverage of the August 27 Berkeley rally would have you believe that it is the “alt-right” that seeks to protect speech. Neither recognizes what the far right does when no one is filming.

The National Lawyers Guild has supported free speech and assembly for all progressive and radical movements for 80 years. Recently, NLG volunteer attorneys, legal workers and clients received death threats and had their personal information publicized in retaliation for defending antifa activists. The National Lawyers Guild phone lines have been inundated with hate calls. One attorney was stalked inside the courthouse by a man with a swastika tattoo and a shaved head, wearing quasi-military-type attire. He then left, and shortly thereafter she received threatening messages and had to seek protection at a safe house. A group of men wearing military-like attire, and one with a swastika tattoo, was seen waiting outside Santa Rita Jail for arrestees to be released.

Nevertheless, the National Lawyers Guild declares that they "won’t stand by as fascists and white supremacists seek to take power in the streets and halls of government. We stand in solidarity with all who fight hatred. We will continue to show up, to defend activists who challenge fascism, and we call on all people of conscience to do the same."

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Related Feature: No Hate in the Bay: A Victorious Weekend of Resistance to Fascism