There has been a lot of talk about fighting between Antifa and Neo-Right groups in the US, especially out in the Pacific Northwest region.
In an interesting story, an antifascist activist from Oregon was killed in the early hours of Saturday in Portland in an apparent hit-and-run near a bar popular with the city’s anarchist left that has been the scene of conflict with right wing groups.
According to the Portland Police Bureau, the car involved was fired upon and crashed into a nearby building. Its occupants fled the scene.
Police said in a statement that the 23-year-old victim, Sean D Kealiher, was taken to a local hospital by associates.
The Multnomah county medical examiner determined the cause of death to be homicide, caused by blunt force trauma. Police said homicide squad detectives would investigate and called on witnesses to come forward.
Kealiher was a prominent participant in antifascist and anti-Trump protests in Portland, speaking and marching in opposition to events held by rightwing groups. His activities occasionally attracted the attention of rightwing bloggers and social media personalities.
Rose City Antifa, the city’s longest-standing antifascist group, said in a tweet addressing Kealiher’s death that it “was not related to fascist activity”.
Police did not specify a motive. (source)
The Pacific Northwestern area- the states of Oregon, Washington, and parts of Northern California- are well-known for left wing as well as right wing paramilitary groups.
People talk about the possibility of an “American Civil War” starting again, or perhaps some other form of conflict that could lead to domestic unrest and then a further domestic conflict. This happening in an organic way is highly unlikely, as the US government is not only involved in many militias (either by open association or by infiltration, as it has been known for years) in order to prevent and stop any insurrection before it happens. She is particularly ruthless in her intrusions, and if something serious were to arise, she would not hesitate to use deadly force by any means possible, including slaughtering innocent people, in order to realize her ends, as she fears the possibility of a rebellion. The incidents that took place at Ruby Ridge in Idaho, the Branch Davidian situation at Waco, and the situation recently with Cilven Bundy and the aggressive actions of the government speak to how seriously she takes this.
If a rebellion does start, it will likely be fomented by the government, and for political use. The conflict between the “left” and the “right” is a recurring theme in Western society, and in its modern context with the support of both internationalist as well as ultranationalist groups in order to control them and direct the conflict between them to a particular politically exploitable end, would in a modern context likely be formulated between the Alt-Right/Neo-Right and the Antifa/Neo-Socialist groups.
Where such a conflict could be intentionally started in the US is anybody’s estimation. However, an example from history may give us a clue.
In Europe, there is a consistent history of revolutions starting in Czechia (Czech Republic), either in Bohemia or Moravia. Whether it is the incidents of “defenstration”, or various forms of religious rebellion, the conflicts are often tied to financing from German royalty or nobles. Czechia seems to have such a place of distinction because is the arguably the most “westernized” Of all of the “eastern” nations, and is also the most heavily “Germanized” of all of the Slavic nations, and is a crossing point between the empires of the German lands, Austria, Poland, and Hungary. It is a diverse area, a mixed region, and one that is also fiercely nationalistic in herself.
Now there could be arguments made for this kind of environment in many places in the US, but there is no question that the Pacific Northwest, while far away for many Americans, is an environment with a long history of political extremism, ethnic diversity, and a history of fighting between various ethnonationalist groups such as “white nationalists,” Mexican “La Raza” type groups, and black gangs from California. It is also a very irreligious area of the country.
Given the relative isolation, tremendous diversity, history of conflict, and strong associations between various separate groups, and the general godlessness of the people who live there, it is possible that this could be considered an “ideal” environment for a political manipulator to exploit for gain by way of sowing conflict and then coming in later as the “answer” to a series of created problems. Certainly it could happen in other areas of the country, but the patterns of political and ethnic violence in that area and now the fighting between Antifa and the Neo-Right wing in that region suggest that the political tensions, just as they arose in the Czech lands with political implications, may happen in this particular are of the US first before moving to other areas.
Accidents by and at bars do happen. However, it will be interesting to see what happens as details emerge with this case about persons involved, if anything further is made public.