Nancy Mace's House Vandalized with Anarchy Symbols
The Claim
U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Mace’s home was vandalized with Antifa symbols.
News posted on
Emerging story
According to the social media accounts of Representative Nancy Mace, parts of her property were covered in graffiti during the early morning of Memorial Day. Phrases such as “All Politicians Are bastards” and “no gods no masters” were spray-painted onto the concrete walkway and on the side of Mrs. Mace’s house. Alongside these phrases were three symbols: capital A’s with extended lines inside circles.
Neither Mrs. Mace nor her children were put in direct danger, and she has stated that law enforcement is aware of the situation.
Some disagreed with Mace's take on the symbols, however.
Misbar’s Analysis
Left-wing group Antifa uses many different symbols and tags to signify their presence. However, the symbol which Mrs. Mace found outside her property is not a traditional Antifa symbol. As some social media users pointed out, the aforementioned symbol is known as the circle-A, and represents the anarchist movement.
Unlike Antifa, which specifically opposes fascist movements or tendencies, anarchism has traditionally stood against centralized political authority in general. Some of their core values are closely reflected in the phrase “no gods no masters” which was painted on the walkway in front of Mrs. Mace’s house. This phrase actually can be traced back to the 19th century, when it was used by British and French anarchists. While Antifa and anarchists have some overlapping goals, they should not be confused as the same movement.
The circle-A symbol has been appropriated at some Antifa marches. However, due to its roots in the anarchist movement, we rate this claim as misleading.
