To find information on the Antifa network I looked to Berkeley, Calif., where many recent protests
have resulted in violence and property damage. Antifa seems to include anarchists, Black
Lives Matter (BLM) and By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) groups. Their purpose is to stop
all free speech that doesn't agree with their leftist ideas. What is disturbing to me, besides the
violence, property damage, and bullying, is that some leaders of BAMN are teachers. Berkeley's
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middle school, Martin Luther King Jr., employed a female teacher to teach social studies and she is a BAMN leader.
Berkeley School District in court filings said the teachers involved tried to recruit students into
their organization. Walk-outs in schools were organized by teacher BAMN members in California and Michigan and tried to bring students to the BAMN events. BAMN joined with BLM in 2014 in the anti-police protests that resulted in property damage and violence.
BAMN is active in both the NEA and local teacher unions in Michigan and California. Last year 17 BAMN teacher members ran for elected positions in the Detroit teachers union. Teachers associated with BAMN ran five candidates for leadership positions with the NEA in 2017.
We're fortunate to have a good school district and top rate teachers. The California and Michigan school districts are facing the challenge of not being able to fire these teachers. These teachers and schools may be one reason out of many for interest in school choice in some areas of the country.
I don't mention the KKK and neo-nazi groups as the national media covers them but it's hard to find information on Antifa. The names of some teachers are in the public but, I chose not to name them here.
Who funds the Antifa groups and why isn't there more information on them?
Gwen Kienholz
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Baxter
