I agree with everything you just said, for the most part. Free speech is so important...and the Nazis & "Commies" and anyone else have a right to state their positions. It bothers me to see the loose knit groups, such as anarchists, earth-firsters, and ANTIFA causing mayhem during events such as the G8 summit. It also bothers me to see groups of armed men march into town, out-gun the police, and chant NAZI slogans. Both sides ended up brawling with one another. One woman killed, and two police officers as well. It shouldn't have happened. And probably WOULDN'T have happened if the Gestapo wannabees hadn't marched into town with their silly tiki torches in the first place.
But yes....violence and the trampling of free speech is bad, no matter the group involved .You can compartmentalize that thought and stick it in a box.
But to equate the fascist protestors with anti-fascists, is not so simple. I agree with you that the lines can seem blurred, but their long term goals, and the overall end-game is entirely different. And that's what certain right-wing media pundits are attrmpting to do. Equate them, or make anti-fascists seem more of a threat than they really are. That's exactly what Hitler did through his propaganda arm in the mid to late 30s. Then, he had the Gestapo and Orpo police stamp out any remaining opposition from rogue anti-fascist citizens. Then came the Rohm purges where Hitler killed off his political opponents as he sought out absolute loyalty from his intel chiefs, generals, federal police, and other staff. Nasty time in history.
Speaking of fascists.