page_title: Refuse Fascism
section_title: November 4, 2017
hierarchical_section_title: Refuse Fascism / Activities / November 4, 2017
caption_attribution_description: English: Protesters speak at a Refuse Fascism rally in Union Square, San Francisco.
context_page_description: Refuse Fascism is a U.S.-based political organization calling for the removal of the Trump administration.
context_section_description: News media reported in September 2017 that Refuse Fascism was organizing a series of nonviolent protests against the Trump administration, which began on November 4, 2017. Conferences were held in Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in August 2017 in preparation for the protests.
  Protestors carrying signs reading "NOV 4 IT BEGINS" blocked traffic on U.S. Route 101, near Alameda Street in Los Angeles, on September 26, 2017.
  The road blockade and the planned protests became the subject of a conspiracy theory alleging that anti-fascist groups were planning to foment a civil war in the United States. In September and October 2017 the claims were reported in multiple articles and broadcasts by InfoWars, by the John Birch Society's publication The New American, and by Richard Spencer's Altright.com website. In October 2017, the conspiracy theorist Frank Gaffney and author and activist Trevor Loudon accused Refuse Fascism of inciting, or conspiring to incite, riots across state lines, and called for the federal government to intervene. Later in October, the conservative blog The Gateway Pundit published an article by Lucian Wintrich claiming an "antifa leader" had pledged to "behead white parents" on November 4. The article was shared on Facebook more than 40,000 times. Wintrich subsequently distanced himself from the article. Also in October 2017, rumors circulated claiming that the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) had scheduled a power outage for November 4; in fact, the DOD intends to conduct a training exercise alongside the American Radio Relay League, an event that has been held quarterly since 2013, in which the electrical grid will not be turned off. As of October 25, 2017, YouTube videos warning of plans for a civil war had been viewed millions of times; and as of November 2 a viral video entitled "Officer Warns: Antifa To Declare Civil War On Whites Before Year End" had been shared over 55,000 times on Facebook. The conspiracy theory has led to threats to attack the demonstrations and to murder anti-fascists.
  Taylor said of the claims: "What they're saying is completely false. They're blatant lies, and they're creating and intending to intimidate people who want to stand up to the Trump/Pence regime. It's concerning that these lies are being spread and that they're unleashing threats." Taylor also said that the response "lets us know we've struck a chord, and they recognize the strength of what we are doing." Spencer Sunshine of Political Research Associates argued in October 2017 that "the conspiracy is being used to encourage Far Right activists to harm non-violent Leftist protestors" and that "The organizing function of these 'looming war' narratives serves to motivate the Far Right base, rather than function as actual predictions." Adi Robertson of The Verge wrote on November 3 that "It doesn't necessarily matter how much anyone believes tomorrow's nationwide protest is a civil war—the point is that some people are hoping it will become one."
  On November 4, 2017, Refuse Fascism held peaceful demonstrations in New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and other cities.
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caption: Protesters speak at a Refuse Fascism rally in Union Square, San Francisco, November 4, 2017.
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