The County Administration Building, newly adorned with the former facade of the Palazzo Braschi, which once served as Mussolini’s Fascist Headquarters in Rome. In front, a statue of Hercules, purchased from the Foro Mussolini. “I don’t see what all the fuss is about,” protests Stephan. “‘Si’ just means ‘Yes’ in Spanish, and that reflects the positive, can-do spirit of San Diego government. At the same time, I acknowledge that pursuing justice in a diverse city like San Diego is, like cleaning out the Aegean stables, a Herculean task.”

On December 6, San Diego District Attorney became the first DA in the country to take on the anti-fascist organization Antifa, focusing on its role in the violence surrounding at the January 9 Patriot March in Pacific Beach. But as Antifa activists were quick to note, “Antifa” is short for “anti-fascist,” meaning that anti-antifa actions are anti-anti-fascist, or, put another way, pro-fascist, or, put another way, simply fascist. And the conspiracy charges that Stephan is leveling against the attackers are most definitely anti-antifa. “That means she’s a fascist,” says Antifa spokesperson Bruce Brainstrong. “I mean, it’s pretty basic stuff. So yeah, San Diego managed to elect a gay Hispanic progressive mayor and a Board of Supervisors willing to declare racism a public health crisis. But it’s clear that deep down, they’re still a bunch of hateful fascists, doing whatever they can to keep their fellow fascists in power.”