Democratic National Committee deputy chairman Keith Ellison (Minn.) on Wednesday tweeted a photo of himself posing with a copy of the radical left-wing book Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook.
"At @MoonPalaceBooks and I just found the book that strike fear in the heart of @realDonaldTrump," he wrote.
Antifa is a far-left organization that uses violence in the name of progressive goals and against perceived enemies. It came to attention this year for its thuggish tactics at Berkeley, when it attacked and assaulted right-wing protesters on the liberal college campus.
The book is by Mark Bray, an Occupy Wall Street organizer and Dartmouth professor who earlier this year defended violence against white supremacists and neo-Nazis.
"Fascism cannot be defeated through speech," Bray said in August.
According to the book, "militant anti-fascism is a reasonable, historically informed response to the fascist threat that persisted after 1945 and that has become especially menacing in recent years" and antifa members must be ready to physically confront fascists when necessary.
A Washington Post review of Bray's book stated, "the book’s most enlightening contribution is on the history of anti-fascist efforts over the past century, but its most relevant for today is its justification for stifling speech and clobbering white supremacists — two antifa traditions that overwhelm the chance to contextualize much of anything."
https://twitter.com/keithellison/status/948657342308147202
After Antifa's actions at Berkeley, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) released a statement condemning it for inciting violence, and liberal Daily Show host Trevor Noah even referred to the organization as "Vegan ISIS."
Dartmouth distanced itself from Bray's remarks defending violent protests, the Free Beacon reported:
In response to the interview, Dartmouth issued a statement indicating the school does not agree with Bray's views.
"Recent statements made by Lecturer in History Mark Bray supporting violent protest do not represent the views of Dartmouth," read the statement from President Philip J. Hanlon.
"As an institution, we condemn anything but civil discourse in the exchange of opinions and ideas," the statement continued. "Dartmouth embraces free speech and open inquiry in all matters, and all on our campus enjoy the freedom to speak, write, listen, and debate in pursuit of better learning and understanding."
"However," Hanlon concluded, "the endorsement of violence in any form is contrary to Dartmouth values."