very important for antifas to avoid the sheep/wolf/sheepdog trichotomy that the cops live by.

fascists aren't wolves, monsters, or demons. they're humans.
the brawliest antifa supersoldier is as human as the softest terrified teenage trans girl.

like everything else some people are better built for violent conflict than others, but no one's an action hero, and in real life defense is a community endeavour. a militia needs food, shelter, love, art, friends like everybody else; the comrade who cooks breakfast for the comrade who punches nazis is every bit as much part of nazi resistance, the breakfast is in the punch. when it comes down to shooting we need barricades and backpacks and computer networks. the thing that stops nazis isn't the punches or barricades, it's to be overwhelmed by an entire society taking a stand against them.

if you're down to fight of course you want to be a protector; when nazis walk openly the streets, how wouldn't you want to gift your friends and loved ones the gift of safety? but the gift of safety isn't yours to give; it's ours to build. being a "protector" implies helpless protectees, but the action hero is a product of copaganda--they lied to us. defense forces aren't sheepdogs and nonviolent people aren't sheep. we're just regular people who want our friends and communities to know someone is both able and willing to risk their bodies. there's no difference, we're all supporting one another the way we can.

antifas aren't sheepdogs and fascists aren't wolves. fascists are normal people who got so drunk on ideology as to throw away basic empathy and care for their fellow beings. they are responsible for that choice, which makes them the enemy. but it's important to always have a path back to the good. people who give up being fascists/cops need to do a lot to earn back trust, but there has to be systems to support that. or else fascism swells its numbers by leaving no alternative.

conflict is in itself addictive; for a certain personality type, the thrill and risk and game-like challenge of the fight can overshadow the why. it's important to stay in touch with our people, to have a life you love enough to want to preserve, which means to have bonds with people. to get drunk not just on war but on love and gentleness and creation too, to know how to grow and to build, always so much harder than to blow up stuff. it's important to not be this isolated special-agent dehumanised attack thing. it's important not to be a cop.