4. Courage in Resistance w/ Ben Case

Antifascist courage is a choreography of mutual aid, preparation, and care. In this episode I talk with scholar-organizer and retired Muay Thai fighter Ben Case, author of Street Rebellion: Resistance Beyond Violence and Nonviolence (2022), about how “physical courage” develops across a spectrum of practices — from speaking up for a co-worker and signing a union card to holding a picket line and putting your body between ICE and your neighbor.

We dig into the realities of “big” vs. “little” violence, the strategic and moral limits of “respectable” protest narratives, and why bodies, training, and solidarity matter when the state blurs dissent with “disorder.” Ben lays out how fight-sport training can normalize adrenaline, prevent panic, and sharpen on-the-spot judgment; why movements we label “nonviolent” often include non-armed force; and how a range of tactics actually functions together on the ground. We also revisit the 2017 Richard Spencer punch as a case study in consequence, deterrence, and dignity — and what it does (and doesn’t) tell us about backlash and movement strategy.

Ben Case is an antifascist organizer and researcher whose work interrogates how punditry and policy launder certain protest tactics as “legible” while criminalizing others. He’s a retired pro Muay Thai fighter, a coach/official, and the author of Street Rebellion: Resistance Beyond Violence and Nonviolence. His scholarship and fieldwork examine how non-armed force (property damage, de-arrests, sabotage) gets mislabeled or erased — with real consequences for movements and public understanding.

Part 2 now on Patreon: the second half of my conversation with Ben — plus a segment on the Graham Platner morality play (PTSD, internet alienation, a Nazi tattoo, accountability, and the anxieties of masculinity). Will remain paywalled for 2–3 weeks. Join at @antifascistdadpodcast to hear it now.

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Notes:

Brief: Beyond Violence and Nonviolence (Part 1) w/ Ben Case

Street Rebellion: Resistance Beyond Violence and Nonviolence

Magic Numbers Are No Shortcut to Strategy (New article from Ben Case)

Venezuela Military Personnel

'Violent protest is not protected,' Biden says of college campus unrest - ABC News

The Success of Nonviolent Civil Resistance | ICNC

Hegset...

Chapters

• (00:00:00) - Anti-Fascism Dad: Ben Case
• (00:02:53) - Fascist Squish and Antifascist News of the Week
• (00:12:45) - Ben Case on Non-Violence
• (00:19:00) - What Does It Mean to Be Physically Brave?
• (00:22:30) - Physical Training for Protestors
• (00:27:32) - Warm Hand Lock
• (00:29:46) - On The Perfect Protest
• (00:34:37) - The Difference Between Little Violence and Big Violence
• (00:39:52) - Black Bloc Protester Punch Richard Spencer in the Face
• (00:47:01) - Punishing Richard Spencer: Should You Be Punished?
• (00:49:46) - Fascist Dad of the Week