EXCLUSIVE: Far-left B.C. group rebrands to “Democracy Rising” to escape Antifa label
A prominent British Columbian far-left “antifascist” group has strategically rebranded from “Vancouver Against Fascism” to “Democracy Rising.”
Just weeks after Donald Trump officially designated Antifa a terrorist organization, a prominent British Columbian far-left “antifascist” group has strategically rebranded from “Vancouver Against Fascism” to “Democracy Rising,” seemingly in an effort to shed their controversial image.
The decision to rebrand as Democracy Rising was announced internally on a Zoom call the day after Charlie Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University on September 10.
Group leadership stated the decision was the culmination of months of planning, not a reaction to the Kirk shooting or Trump’s rhetoric on radical leftism.
Instead, they claimed the change was an attempt to distance itself from radical leftism and appeal to “the middle” of the political spectrum.
A chart visually explained this, dividing the political spectrum into three distinct categories: the far left, the middle, and “the hard MAGA.”
The organization’s website underwent a complete overhaul this week and appears to be a work in progress.
“We’re still the same group of ornery activists that took to the streets in February 2025,” reads the group on its website’s “About Us” page.
“Our goal then and now was to help grow a movement to 3.5% or better of the population — a force that can stand up to authoritarian advances,” the statement continues. “But it didn’t take long to realize that we had defined ourselves in terms of what we opposed, rather than what we are for.”
The group explained the “Antifa brand”, which they claim was “created by right-wing media to dismiss legitimate action by pro-democracy forces”, may have “made outreach to media, government, and other organizations more difficult.”
Liberal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and his department have avoided questions about whether Canada would follow Trump’s lead and declare Antifa a terrorist entity. Other activist groups like the Canadian Anti-Hate Network are facing renewed scrutiny for their advocacy and past affiliations with Antifa.