Comedian and Satirist Trevor Noah Describes Antifa As 'Vegan ISIS'

South African satirist Trevor Noah has been speaking out against the activities of the anti-fascist umbrella group, Antifa, calling its adherents “vegan ISIS.”

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The host of the late-night U.S. program “The Daily Show” called out some extreme tactics taken by some members of the group, which has no centralized leadership or organizational structure.

Noah opened his spiel with a clip in which anti-fascist activist Lacy MacAuley said that acts like breaking a Starbucks window were “symbolic” ways to resist extremism.

“Seriously, though, breaking a window was a ‘symbolic act’?” Noah said. “You might think it’s some deep statement, but most people see that and think, ‘Great, now I’ve got to walk a whole block up to the next Starbucks.”

“Who is that supposed to convince?” he continued. “What are you trying to do? It definitely doesn’t convince the Starbucks guy — the person who’s going to be cleaning up the glass, like, ‘Yeah, they made a good point about fascism. I understand what they mean. I understand it.’”

Noah continued saying that the most destructive tactic of all is when Antifa members engage in physical violence.

“It doesn’t matter what your noble goal may be, it doesn’t matter what you say you’re fighting for. When people see that, all they think is, ‘Oh shit, it’s Vegan ISIS,’” Noah said.

“Because you don’t realize when you think you’re punching Nazis, you don’t realize that you’re also punching your cause. Because your opponents, they’ll just use every violent incident to discredit your entire movement,” he said.

Anti-fascist groups have been around for decades, some emerging during the early part of 20th century. But recently many Antifa activists have adopted a willingness to use violence to confront their opponents. 

Last Sunday, demonstrators protesting hate groups and supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump clashed in Berkeley, California. Police reportedly used pepper spray and smoke bombs after violence broke out. Fourteen people were arrested.

In wake of the incident, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi delivered the strongest condemnation of Antifa yet by a Democratic leader, saying such violence would not be tolerated. 

“Our democracy has no room for inciting violence or endangering the public, no matter the ideology of those who commit such acts,” Pelosi said in a statement. 

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“The violent actions of people calling themselves Antifa in Berkeley this weekend deserve unequivocal condemnation, and the perpetrators should be arrested and prosecuted,” she said. 

According to interviews and confidential law enforcement documents obtained by Politico, U.S. federal authorities have been warning state and local officials since early 2016 that the Antifa had become increasingly confrontational and dangerous.

The Department of Homeland Security even formally classified their activities as “domestic terrorist violence,” Politico said. 

In interviews, law enforcement authorities said Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric and policies helped to create a situation that leftist extremism has escalated so quickly and extensively that they do not have a handle on it.

“Everybody is wondering, 'What are we gonna do? How are we gonna deal with this?'” a senior state law enforcement official said to Politico.

“Every time they have one of these protests where both sides are bringing guns, there are sphincters tightening in my world. Emotions get high, and fingers get twitchy on the trigger.”