A man who was arrested in Green Bay over the weekend was found to be in possession of a flamethrower, smoke grenades and fireworks, and police say he is connected to Antifa.
Matthew Banta, a 23-year-old Neenah resident, was arrested Saturday night and according to the criminal complaint, is “known to be a violent Antifa member who incites violence in otherwise relatively peaceful protests.”
His codename within the organization is Commander Red.
Officers were called to the area of Walnut Street and Webster Avenue and saw four individuals walking towards a protest with baseball bats. One man was wearing a metal helmet with goggles and military-style gear with multiple pouches and was carrying an Antifa flag.
Banta is facing charges of obstructing an officer and two counts of felony bail jumping, and had his bail set at $2,500 cash during his initial appearance on Monday.
