Following CNN host Chris Cuomo’s controversial statement that "all punches are not equal," which prompted accusations that he supports Antifa violence, RT has hosted a debate on whether brute force is sometimes justified.
Speaking during an on-air segment, political and social issues commentator Anthony Brian Logan noted that Antifa –or anti-fascist– activists seem to be provoking violence, which he believes is never justified under any circumstances.
“Antifa, every time I see them on television, they seem to be getting into some kind of fight, some kind of altercation. It always seems to come from them,” Logan noted at the start of the debate.
“It does not matter if they are fighting 'hate' or whatever they claim. You can't put your hands on somebody and then hide behind some kind of moral high ground. So don’t touch people if you don’t want to be touched, it's really just as simple as that. It doesn't matter what political affiliation the other person is. Keep the hands to yourself,” he added, stressing that freedom of speech in US society leaves no room for brutal tactics.
Anarchist playwright Brenton Lengel disagreed, claiming that sometimes violence is justified if it protects society from greater evil.
“Freedom of speech protects you from the state. It protects you from the cops, putting you in jail for what you say,” Lengel said. “Freedom of speech does not mean that everything you say needs to be tolerated.”
Comparing the anarchist movement to Batman’s good deeds, Lengel claimed that “Antifa is doing the same thing that a lot of our superheroes do.”
“I'm not calling them superheroes. But I’m saying this type of behavior is justified in our society. Violence can be used to prevent greater violence,” he stressed, in the heated debate.
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO OF THE DEBATE:
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