About

Hamtifa is a pun. A joke.

It is a portmanteau ‘ham radio’ and ‘Antifa’. Hamtifa is the intersection of amateur radio and street protest.

Ham radio, or amateur radio, is the operation of a radio station on the amateur radio service. The hobby requires knowledge of radio frequency propagation, antennas, batteries, and radio procedure. Amateur radio operators also volunteer their time and equipment to assist with public safety and emergency preparedness.

Antifa was an anti-fascist group from Germany in the 30’s. In the United States, Antifa is a label applied by the alt-right to describe any left-leaning protest group. It’s a conservative ghost story, a boogey man. Leftist groups absolutely exist, they just aren’t a cohesive ideology backed by George Soros like Fox News would have you believe.

This is a weblog about non-violent direct action. It may come across as reactionary, but it feels like I have been in this fight off and on since I was a teenager. First, it was fighting with skinheads at punk rock shows in Clifton in the early 90’s. Then it was as a soldier in the US Army stationed in Germany. Then, it was on the Internet, battling trolls and shills for white supremacy online. And now in my middle-age, I am on the streets once again.

This site is dedicated to the fight against fascism, white supremacy, misogyny, and homophobia. Mostly, I do that by volunteering as a medic, marshal, or security for Pride events, protests, and street marches. I hope to bring something to the fight, even if it’s just explaining systemic racism, sexism, and homophopia in terms that middle aged white dudes can understand.