I am a former FBI Computer Scientist that worked in the Philadelphia Division of the FBI, and was promoted to Cyber Division Headquarters; during my time I worked on numerous criminal and national security matters, and had the fortunate opportunity to see the direct impact my job had in making America safer and saving lives. Since leaving the FBI, I've worked as a Privacy and Security engineer for companies such as Twitter and Google. I am also an Eagle Scout who continues to live by the code and ethics set since I was a young child.

I am writing to share how horrified I am with regards to the existential threats that my friends and former colleagues face right now. The acting director of the FBI was ordered to provide a list of all employees who worked on any January 6th matter; this includes not just Special Agents, but Intelligence Analysts, Computer Forensics Examiners, Computer Scientists, and more. These cases were lawfully investigated, supported by Judges, followed due process, and in many cases resulted in convictions by jury. These employees were doing their job, and are now threatened for following the oath we all swore. I fear not only for their safety, but also the safety of our country as these employees not only investigated these matters, but numerous others that have immediate impact on national security and saving lives, just like my career had done. Our foreign adversaries are using this as an opportunity, right now, to attack our country. Please use your voice to support the FBI and its employees immediately.

This month, we're launching the Anti-Fascist Action Of The Month Challenge, where we call on you to take an anti-fascist action! February's challenge: Show Them Where You Stand!

-Wear an anti-fascist pin, patch, shirt, or hat.

-Put up an anti-fascist poster or sign.

-Fly an anti-fascist flag.

-Do something to show people that you oppose fascism and stand with the people targeted by fascists.

This action may seem small and insignificant, but it does three important things:

1. It tells fascists and far-right goons that there is opposition in the area, which may be enough to make them think twice about taking action in your community.

2. It also lets the people in your community who are targets of fascist abuse and violence that they have allies and supporters nearby who will back them up if they need help.

3. It encourages other people who feel the same way you do to be open, public, and vocal about their opposition to bigotry and fascism.

But Is It Safe?

We don’t know you or where you live, so we’re going to trust you to do what you feel comfortable with here. That said, we asked the member of our own collective who is most frequently out around town wearing antifa shirts or hoodies about his experience. Here’s what he said:

”I’m a uhhh how shall I put this? A larger and more substantial looking individual. I’m also white cis/het. It’s not uncommon for people to mistake me for a cop! So it’s possible that my experience wearing antifa gear has been different because people are less likely to try to mess with me. That said, after wearing antifa shirts, hoodies, pins and the like everywhere, I have to say that the number of people/strangers who’ve reacted very positively outnumbers the negative reactions I’ve seen by 10 to 1! I can only think about two or three times I’ve had a negative reaction, and those times it amounted to nothing more than staring at me disapprovingly.”

OK, So Where Do I Get Antifascist Stuff?

You could make your own stuff! If you’re looking for ideas, check out our photo archive for some inspiration!
antifainternational.tumblr.com…

If you’re less crafty, you might want to buy some antifascist stuff to display. Best place to get stuff is from a group doing antifascist work and selling stuff to fund their work. You’ll find a list of some of those groups here:
antifainternational.tumblr.com…

Our collective have been selling anti-fascist shirts and hoodies and donating the proceeds directly to specific antifascist groups and causes for a few years now - you’ll find our online shop here:
bonfire.com/store/antifa-inter…

The next best place to get stuff is from businesses run by antifascists and/or support antifascist groups to one extent or another. We have some examples of places worth checking out here:
antifainternational.tumblr.com…

The one kind of place we would not recommend buying antifa gear from is for-profit operations that aren’t contributing back to the movement. These compete directly with anti-fascist groups trying to fundraise but pocket all the money they collect. If you’re unsure where the money is going, ask the place you’re considering buying from and then verify with the group(s) they say they donate proceeds to (if they say that they do).

We’d love to see how you took on this month’s antifa action - if you feel safe doing so, please feel free to send us some photos (we don’t need to see your lovely face or other identifying features if you’re shy/security conscious)! Let us know if it’s OK for us to share the photos or if you want us to keep ‘em to ourselves.

What If I Don’t Like This Antifa Action Of The Month?

No problem - feel free to skip ahead and choose one of the other 29 actions we came up with! Or go with one of the 40 actions from 40 Ways To Fight Fascists. Or go completely off-book and come up with your own action!