Submitted by Jason Curtis Anderson of One City Rising,
Last week, Minneapolis was the scene of a nightmare. A transgender shooter stormed into a church, murdered two children, and then turned the gun on himself. Tragedy struck at the intersection of ideology and violence, but while the mainstream press will quietly move on from this story, the details demand closer inspection.
In the aftermath, investigators uncovered the shooter's personal journal. On it, a sticker of a gay pride flag emblazoned with an assault rifle and the words "defend equality." That very same flag is also displayed by the Minneapolis chapter of the Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), a self-proclaimed left-wing gun club that advocates armed struggle. Andy Ngo shared the images here.
Say what you will about America's increasingly bitter culture wars, but we cannot ignore the fact that much of the rhetoric surrounding the modern trans movement isn't just about self-defense, but about "fighting back," like this flyer, advocating for a trans day of vengeance.
What exactly do you think they mean by that?
The Socialist Rifle Association has more than 50 chapters nationwide, with several states hosting multiple chapters. We've been told for decades that America's great domestic terror threat comes from far-right militias in camo gear. But there is obviously a militant movement on the other side of the spectrum: a growing network of far-left militias preparing for what they themselves call "the revolution."
The connections between the SRA and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)—a group with 201 elected officials in office—are especially troubling. In February 2025, the DSA narrowly voted against a resolution to merge with the SRA. The debate was heated. Following the vote, members of both organizations spilled online to express their frustrations. Some DSA members called it a betrayal. Others celebrated the split, but still acknowledged shared values.
What matters most is that these two groups are not strangers. Their affiliations go back years. As far back as 2018, the Socialist Rifle Association openly collaborated with DSA chapters. In 2024, the Maryland SRA and Baltimore DSA even hosted a drag show fundraiser for weapons training. And in some states, there's already overlapping membership.
This is not abstract theory. It is not memes on Twitter or LARPing in the woods. In Salem, Oregon, an alleged SRA member was accused of firebombing a Tesla dealership. Court filings in that case describe the SRA as "well-practiced" with firearms and trained in "combat scenarios." These are not hobbyists. These are ideologues sharpening their tools.
That raises the uncomfortable question: how many "self-defense training sessions" across the country are really just grooming grounds for political violence? And how many shootings like Minneapolis will it take before we finally acknowledge the seriousness of far-left extremism in America?
The DSA, meanwhile, has proven to be the political wing of this movement. Back in 2019, the DSA even voted to adopt ANTIFA as an official arm of the organization. Today, they are poised to capture the New York City mayor's office—America's crown jewel. From that position, the levers of power shift dramatically. This is not theoretical; it is a pipeline of ideology to authority.
And the intentions of these groups are not hidden. Just this past July, the New York City DSA chapter held a public meeting about disrupting the U.S. military supply chain. Not reforming it. Not lobbying against it. Disrupting it. That's a polite euphemism for sabotage.
When you connect the dots, the picture is clear:
It doesn't take a conspiracy theorist to see the trajectory here. The American left has developed its own armed wing, and it is radicalizing fast.
For years, establishment voices assured us that "ANTIFA is just an idea," that the far left was harmless cosplay. But the church in Minneapolis is stained with blood. Tesla dealerships are burning. And groups with real political clout are running drag show fundraisers to bankroll weapons training.
The press will not say it, but the truth is unavoidable: the far left is not preparing to share power. It is preparing to seize it—or, failing that, to destroy society itself.
The only question left is how much longer the rest of the country will look the other way.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ZeroHedge.