US President Donald Trump announced his intent to designate antifa as a “major terrorist organization.” The statement was made via a social media post early Thursday local time while the President was on a state visit to the United Kingdom. President Trump characterized antifa as a “SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER” and indicated he would strongly recommend an investigation into its funders.
Antifa, short for “anti-fascists,” is described as an an umbrella term for various far-left-leaning militant groups, rather than a singular unified entity. These groups typically engage in resistance against fascists and neo-Nazis, particularly at demonstrations. However, former FBI Director Christopher Wray testified in 2020 that antifa is considered an ideology, not an organization with a hierarchical structure, a factor relevant to federal terror group designations.
Following President Trump’s announcement, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) expressed support, asserting that antifa exploits legitimate grievances to promote violence and anarchy. Senator Cassidy, along with Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), had previously introduced a Senate resolution in July 2019 to condemn antifa’s actions and advocate for its designation as a domestic terror organization.
Source: indianexpress.com