The Brief: Twitter users are responding to Rand Paul and Donald Trump's anti-Antifa comments with memes about the non-existent "Antifa HQ" and "Antifa Airlines."

DEEP DIVE
Antifa HQ Memes
Short for anti-fascist, Antifa is a decentralized movement to stop fascism. President Trump has characterized Antifa as a “terrorist organization.” On Monday, he repeated unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about “people that are in the dark shadows” and an airplane that was “almost completely loaded with thugs wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms with gear and this and that.”
On Tuesday, former politician Chuck Callesto tweeted that Senator Rand Paul had “called to SUBPOENA ANTIFA plane records, hotel records, all travel records & all funding….” after he had been confronted by protestors outside the Republican National Convention. Before this claim was verified, Twitter users started dunking on Rand Paul and Donald Trump for their opposition to a movement that opposes fascism, and for perpetuating the idea that such a decentralized movement would have coordinated air travel, funding, hotels, and even headquarters.
Similar to “CEO of Antifa comments,” Antifa HQ memes mock the idea that Antifa is an organized group that would have headquarters in a physical location. They also push back at the idea that a movement against fascism is considered a terrorist organization by some elected officials. Many memes cite anti-fascists of history such as the U.S. military in World War II as clear examples that opposing fascism is a good thing.
https://twitter.com/wildwestleft/status/1300872505016700929
Someone needs to frmind @RandPaul that once upon a time, this was Antifa HQ. pic.twitter.com/Lxo9id4NFU
— Paula Weston (@paulacweston) September 1, 2020
FYI: antifa stands for anti-fascist.
FYI: the US government should be anti-fascist.
FYI: The White House SHOULD be Antifa HQ.
— Chip Franklin (@chipfranklin) September 1, 2020
Gonna swing by Antifa HQ, you need anything? pic.twitter.com/O1owKuirlP
— Danny Neary (@itsdannyneary) September 1, 2020
me and my girlfriend stopping by antifa HQ for some face masks, right after getting iced coffees at the LGBT community (same building) pic.twitter.com/ZM3gvWbLbA
— Jill Gutowitz (@jillboard) September 1, 2020
I’m at Antifa headquarters shredding documents. You’ll never take us alive copper
— bryan (@murderxbryan) September 1, 2020
We've located the Antifa HQ
Sending troops now pic.twitter.com/sA6zZjgH9M
— Jet Jaguar (@Jett_Jaguar) September 1, 2020
Feds getting ready to bust in to Antifa HQ .. pic.twitter.com/EznNKQeUeL
— J (@thayer_icob) September 1, 2020
everyone looking up Antifa HQ right now is so dumb. theres a pandemic we're not in the office, we are working from home lol
— soup_ (@ambient_soup) September 1, 2020
Antifa Airlines
While there is no official airline of Antifa, Twitter users ran with this idea to poke fun at politicians on the far-right suggesting that Antifa is something that it’s not.
I chose Antifa Airlines because I knew Rand Paul wouldn’t be on my flight….plus the warmed cookies. pic.twitter.com/g4uZY1LRf6
— Amy Siskind 🏳️🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) September 1, 2020
Antifa Airlines non-stop to DC boarding now pic.twitter.com/Xbj6COKGN8
— Zeddy (@Zeddary) September 1, 2020
A plane full of uniformed antifa, circa 1944 pic.twitter.com/8V0CDmb4hQ
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) September 1, 2020