Mark Bray, historian of antifascism is now in exile, thanks to the backlash over Charlie Kirk’s murder and the Trump administration's accelerating attempts to label antifascists as terrorists. Bray, his partner and their two young children fled the US after the local Turning Point USA chapter posted a petition to have him fired from Rutgers, where he teaches. Altogether, these attacks prompted a flood of death threats.

But no one can exile the work. Mark joins me to ground antifascism in history, movement strategy, and parenting. We unpack how education becomes propaganda when sourcing and truth-testing are abandoned; and how movements need a diversity of rhetoric—from accessible to militant.

Also: navigating slogans like Abolish ICE, ACAB, and Globalize the Intifada, and the Glastonbury “Death to the IDF” chant. We compare liberal/centrist antifascism with mass, working-class antifascism, and manage to end on hope: making space for young people’s bold experiments even when veteran organizers feel the weight of years.

Also: news from the Portland Frog detachment!

The full second half—movement discipline, courts vs. power, deeper dive on slogans, and my reflection on Mark’s “technique vs. content” distinction—is live now for supporters: https://www.patreon.com/cw/AntifascistDadPodcast.

Pre-order the book that powers this podcast: Antifascist Dad: Urgent Conversations with Young People in Chaotic Times (pub date April 26, 2026)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807656/antifascist-dad-by-matthew-remski/

Bray, Mark. Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook. Brooklyn, NY: Melville House Publishing, 2017.

Bray, Mark, and Robert H. Haworth, eds. Anarchist Education and the Modern School: A Francisco Ferrer Reader. Translated by Mark Bray and Joseph McCabe. Oakland, CA: PM Press, 2019

Meet the Portland protest frog that started a movement - YouTube

‘I’ve definitely had spicier tamales,’ says Portland ICE protest frog that got pepper sprayed by federal agents - oregonlive.com

ICE Agents Shoot Pepper Spray into Protester's Frog Costume Air Vent

Antifa expert at Rutgers University flees US amid death threats

He Wrote a Book About Antifa. Death Threats Are Driving Him Out of the US | WIRED

Antifa expert at Rutgers University says he is moving to Spain because of death threats

• (00:00:00) - How many Turning Point USA members does it take to send a historian
• (00:00:27) - Anti-Fascist Dad Podcast: Mark Bray in Exile
• (00:06:51) - Fascist Squish
• (00:13:10) - Antifa vs Anti-Fascists: Part 2
• (00:18:12) - Mark Bray: Anti-Fascist Dad
• (00:20:40) - In the Elevator With Anti-Fascists
• (00:23:11) - Making Anti-Fascism Legible to Young People
• (00:27:49) - What Are the Early Messages Students Get About Fascism?
• (00:38:59) - Fooled by Fascism: Seth Todd

Summary
Unlocking Part 2 for y'all. Opening with a reflection on Part 1 (kinship, food, music, “yallidarity”) and then Nathan and I go verse-by-verse through “Hillbilly Hymn.” We talk housework and masculinity, charismatic church roots, incarnation vs. redemptive suffering, why “resurrection > crucifixion” reframes violence, and how meanness and generosity can spring from the same muscle when you’re just trying to get by. I close with a personal meditation on intergenerational trauma, my mother, and why toughness without resentment can still be a form of love.

Guest
Nathan Evans Fox — songwriter, record Heirloom (May release).

Where to follow / support
• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/AntifascistDadPodcast
• Follow: YouTube/TikTok @antifascistdad • IG @Matthew_Remski
• Pre-order the book Antifascist Dad: Urgent Conversations with Young People in Chaotic Times (North Atlantic Books, Apr 2026): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807656/antifascist-dad-by-matthew-remski/

Content notes
Religious themes; family trauma; addiction; war; grief; light profanity.

• (00:00:08) - Part II
• (00:01:04) - Kinship Appalachia
• (00:07:33) - Heirloom
• (00:14:10) - "White Nationalism" Review
• (00:14:38) - "One Voice" on 'Thank You'
• (00:18:19) - "Oh My..."
• (00:21:05) - Nathan Harris on "Being Mean"
• (00:26:02) - Antifascist Dad: Remembering My
• (00:28:49) - In the Elevator With My Mother

UofT encampment organizer Sara Rasikh joins me to walk through the inside story of “Occupy for Palestine”—from the first tents at King’s College Circle (May 2, 2024) to the court-ordered dismantling (July 3). We talk logistics, negotiation, care work, spiritual life in the camp, and the personal risks for student spokespeople. I set the scene with “Fascist / Squish / Antifascist” news on Greta Thunberg’s deportation and how liberal institutions police dissent—then close with a “fashy dad” segment on UK PM Keir Starmer and the criminalization of Palestine Action supporters. If you’ve wondered what encampments actually do—politically, ethically, and communally—this is your primer.

Guest
Sara Rasikh (PhD student, University of Toronto). MA in Social Justice Education; HBA in Ethics, Society & Law and in Critical Studies in Equity & Solidarity (UofT).

Listen & Support
• Watch/subscribe: YouTube @antifascistdad
• TikTok: @antifascistdad
• IG: @matthew_Remski
• Part 2 is up now on Patreon: @antifascistdadpodcast (temporarily paywalled)
• Pre-order the book Antifascist Dad: Urgent Conversations with Young People in Chaotic Times (North Atlantic Books, Apr 2026): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807656/antifascist-dad-by-matthew-remski/

Content notes
State violence; detention; doxxing; police actions; genocide; fasting/starvation; prison abuse (discussion).

References

• UofT encampment—injunction & dismantling (July 2–3, 2024): University’s official notice and Reuters same-day coverage confirm the court order to clear by 6:00 p.m., July 3 and the camp’s removal. Office of the President

• Campus encampment wave scale (May 2024): AP reported rapid spread across Europe and the U.S.; The Chronicle’s tracker packages recap scope and arrests through 2024–25. AP News

• Greta Thunberg—deportation & Athens remarks (Oct 6, 2025): On-the-ground AP and Reuters pieces (plus AP video) document the deportations and her statement at Athens airport. AP News

• Hannibal Directive on Oct 7, 2023: Haaretz investigation (with summary reporting by Al Jazeera) details the order’s use on Oct 7.

• (00:00:00) - Anti-Fascist Dad Podcast: The Encampment for Palestine
• (00:04:03) - Fascists Squish and Anti Fascist News of the Week
• (00:08:38) - Why I Write About The Israel War
• (00:14:56) - Oveoccupy for Palestine: Our demands
• (00:19:35) - The U of T Student Camping
• (00:29:19) - Speakers at the Palestine encampment
• (00:33:32) - Was Your Family Concerned About Your Safety?
• (00:35:34) - Various spiritual practices offered at the Gaza encampment
• (00:38:03) - Food at the Occupy encampment
• (00:40:10) - FASHY DAD: Keir Starmer
• (00:43:00) - The Fight for the Right to Protest