Antifa Wore Shields at NYC Protest

After the riot at the US Capitol building, an Antifa-affiliated protest took place in New York City. Several reporters were on the scene, including ones working for right-wing media. Some of these outlets claimed that antifa were marching through the streets wearing “riot gear.”

Misbar's investigation found that this claim is probably because of some photos that show protestors with shields, traditionally used by riot police to deflect rocks, bricks, and other hard objects thrown at them. Antifa also generally wear black, another color that riot police commonly use. This likely led to the captions claiming that Antifa were wearing riot gear.

However, the protestors weren’t wearing traditional full riot gear. They wore simple clothes made of fabric, while riot police wear full face helmets, armor that protects their whole body, and large transparent shields, like seen below. They also usually carry weapons including pepper spray, batons, and guns.

Riot gear shields are quite different than those carried by Antifa at the protest. Antifa shields appear to be constructed from trashcan lids and other homemade contraptions. 

According to police the protest was mostly peaceful, with the exception of an incident wherein a protestor allegedly smashed an egg on a Trump supporter’s head.