WASHINGTON, May 31 (KUNA) -- US President Donald Trump said Sunday that the US will designate Antifa as a "terrorist organization" as the nation has been witnessing protests as a result of the death of African-American George Floyd when he was arrested by police in Minneapolis.
"The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization," Trump tweeted.
Meanwhile, Attorney General William Barr said in a statement that "groups of outside radicals and agitators are exploiting the situation to pursue their own separate, violent, and extremist agenda." He stressed that "federal law enforcement actions will be directed at apprehending and charging the violent radical agitators who have hijacked peaceful protest and are engaged in violations of federal law." He announced that "to identify criminal organizers and instigators, and to coordinate federal resources with our state and local partners, federal law enforcement is using our existing network of 56 regional FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF)." "Preventing reconciliation and driving us apart is the goal of these radical groups, and we cannot let them succeed," he added.
"The violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly," Barr concluded.
On the other hand, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) National Security Project Director Hina Shamsi said in a statement "there is no legal authority for designating a domestic group." "Any such designation would raise significant due process and First Amendment concerns," the statement added. (pick up previous) si.ibi