I mean that in a society in which the state holds a monopoly on violence and is complicit in the oppression and subjugation of our most vulnerable communities, it is not only necessary but it is right to engage in...

1) Violent: Look, nobody wants violence. No one. But when your life is on the line, that's how people defend themselves. Violence is a sad, disgusting fact of the human condition, of being an animal in the natural world, and to chastise vulnerable people for using it in their own self defense is a disgustingly privileged and ignorant stance to take. Notice how most "centrists" who say "violence is never the answer! Fight hate with love!" are middle to upper class, white, cisheteronormative people that aren't targeted and/or oppressed due to their basic identity. Very easy to say "hey just be peaceful" from that standpoint.

Our world is filled with violence. Class violence, race violence, sex violence... but when violence is used for self-defense, why is it wrong? And is it not an expression of violence for armed white men to march in the streets, throwing up Nazi salutes, ... Can you understand how a black person or a Jew would find that violent? Not only is it a clear imminent threat of physical violence, can you not see how that is without a doubt a psychological violence? Is that not something to be stamped out? Why is physical violence not okay but a psychological or emotional violence deemed not worth confronting?

2) direct action: Direct action means the people do the work that needs to be done. No voting for a representative to make decisions about your own life for you (representative democracy). In the context of struggle against fascism, we can't rely on cops. Cops are state actors that serve the interests of capital and private property, not the people. Law enforcement and the laws that are enforced by them are racist, oppressive institutions, steeped in the racist, oppressive history that is the history of this country. I don't think I need to go into detail about police brutality and how this is evidence of this. Time and time again, cops are found to be collaborating, helping, shielding, et cetera, right-wing or fascist protesters. Anti-racist action and anti-fascist action cannot rely on cops.

3) Community self-defense: This is what anti-fascist and anti-racist action is at its heart. American culture at large has no problem with painting the wall with someone's brains if your own home is broken into, even if a burglar has no intention to harm; why is it not okay to resist a group of armed fascists in our streets, terrorizing our communities that advocate genocide, ethnic cleansing, violent nationalism?

I could have been more clear in my wording in my original comment, my apologies, got a bad night sleep last night. Should have maybe worded it as "direct action, by violent means if necessary, as a form of community self-defense."

I can provide resources that discuss these critiques of power, the police, the right to community self-defense, if that would be helpful.

Look, I'll close with a personal note that, if it rubs anyone the wrong way, I hope will not invalidate any of the critiques I've made above. I understand it's an unpopular opinion; feel free to ignore it, that's your right. Just don't let it taint what I've said above. But I am not considered with what is legal and what is not, or what most people believe to be "right" or "wrong." I am an anarchist. We live in a sick and cruel world. And everywhere I look I see people that don't give a shit. I see people enriching themselves off the backs of the masses of the third world, I see states invade the personal lives of human beings, I see people divided and oppressed and silenced and harmed because of an unchangeable element of their identity. I see the eight richest people in the world holding half the human race's wealth. And I'm sick of it, and I'm saddened by it, and I'm disgusted that I'm essentially forced to be complicit in it. And what's worst of all is that I look around and most people just don't give a fuck. This informs every aspect of my life, my world view, my beliefs. Some people, most people, that's not the case. They don't take the time to think, to read, to study, to critique power, to critique violence, to critique states and oppression and economy. I really am not trying to condescend, I'm not. I'm an idiot, I'm a piece of shit, I'm a human being just like everybody else and I'm not better. I don't blame most people for being unaware, for not caring. The superstructure reinforces the base, as they say. Our culture, our media, our governments, our economy, our education, they all contribute to and blind us to these realities.

I'm really ranting and I'm going to regret posting this, but whatever. So I don't care what is legal or what is not. I will fight Nazis, I will fight racists, I will fight fascists, I will fight the billionaires, and yes I will fight the state tooth and fucking nail until the day I die. I don't want to hurt anyone. And I won't ever intentionally hurt anyone that isn't hurting another. But I will not let Democrats, Republicans, liberals, conservatives, centrists... anyone tell me what is right or what is wrong, parroting what their rulers tell them, what Zuckerberg tells them, what their mommy or daddy tells them, what their pastor tells them, what whoever the fuck the president happens to be tells them. I seek a world without domination, without oppression, where human beings are allowed to be who they are so long as they don't encroach on anyone else's ability to do the same, where we possess the ability to do good, creative, fulfilling work and enrich our own and one anothers' lives as we see fit. And if others refuse to understand that... so be it. But I encourage everyone to try to see things my way. Maybe you think it's a joke but I don't care.