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EXCLUSIVE: A professor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill disclosed during a Harvard University panel that an Antifa-affiliated group requested security assistance from his gun club during the contentious Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017.
Speaking to Harvard faculty and students in February 2018, Dwayne Dixon stated, “Prior to that day, as the planning for the defense of Charlottesville proceeded, the local Anarchist People of Color Collective, or APOC, had requested that Redneck Revolt be present to secure Justice Park for a wide variety of activists who were expected to assemble.” This revelation highlights the complex network of interactions among activist groups during a period marked by significant political unrest.
Following public scrutiny related to his activism, UNC placed Dixon on leave on September 29. He was reinstated on October 3 after experiencing considerable pushback from supporters advocating for his return.
In a move that attracted attention, Harvard’s Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights deleted the recording of the February panel from its YouTube channel shortly after the controversy erupted.
Dixon was associated with Redneck Revolt, a gun club aligning itself with leftist ideals. Amidst the growing controversy, Redneck Revolt acknowledged their disbandment on their website, stating they ceased operations in 2019.
APOC serves as a decentralized group of anarchists with roots stretching back to the early 2000s. Although it operates without extensive public outreach, resources from The Anarchist Library offer insights into its objectives and activities.
APOC has articulated its vision through past statements, including its publication of principles of unity, featuring ten key tenets. The group’s first point declares, “We call for a social revolution to erect a new society entirely.” Their manifesto opposes various forms of capitalism and class oppression, advocating for the liberation of marginalized groups.
In their mission statement, the organization emphasizes the need for a coordinated framework, asserting, “Revolution, if it is to succeed, requires a coordinated, comprehensive network of dedicated revolutionaries.” This ethos outlines their commitment to fostering connections amongst like-minded entities.
During the panel, Dixon further explored connections between Redneck Revolt and various activist organizations. He cited links to the Industrial Workers of the World, or IWW, describing it as a radical alternative to organized labor in the United States. Dixon also mentioned affiliations with groups such as Muslims for Social Justice, which promotes progressive causes, and About Face, an organization supporting veterans against war.
Dixon remarked, “And we have all these other linkages to radical left organizations. I mean, Ready the Ground, … The Raqqa Society, all of these people are in conversation and are shoulder to shoulder — the time for prudent action, planning, and working with comrades in different kinds of decision-making processes, developing new kinds of horizontal organizing.”
Ready the Ground describes itself as a North Carolina-based initiative committed to enhancing movements for social justice through training in nonviolent action.
Left-wing movements, including Antifa and similar anarchist collectives, often present themselves as informal gatherings of activists rather than as well-structured organizations. Nonetheless, notable chapters such as Rose City Antifa and Atlanta Antifascists exist as organized entities.
In response to civil unrest attributed to Antifa, the Trump administration declared the group a domestic terrorist organization, issuing an executive order that characterized it as a militaristic enterprise advocating for the overthrow of government institutions.
The executive order articulates, “Antifa is a militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law.” The directive further cautions that individuals associated with Antifa collaborate with other organizations to promote political violence and suppress legal political discourse.
Requests for comment from Dixon and UNC went unanswered. The IWW, Muslims for Social Justice, and Ready the Ground similarly did not respond. Efforts to reach out to representatives from APOC and The Raqqa Society were also unsuccessful. Harvard declined to provide any commentary on the matter.
As the complexities of political activism continue to evolve, the intersections of various group ideologies and actions reveal a landscape fraught with tension and divergent viewpoints. The developments surrounding Dixon and the events in Charlottesville serve as reminders of the ongoing dialogue about political violence and the responsibilities of academic institutions in navigating these turbulent waters.
