The president called the loosely organized group a “militarist, anarchist enterprise” opposed to the U.S. government and law.
President Donald Trump on Sept. 22 signed an order declaring Antifa a domestic terror organization.
In an executive order, Trump described Antifa as a “militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law.”
The president said the loosely organized group “uses illegal means to organize and execute a campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide” including “coordinated efforts to obstruct enforcement of Federal laws through armed standoffs with law enforcement, organized riots, violent assaults on Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other law enforcement officers, and routine doxing of and other threats against political figures and activists.”
The order ties the decision to declare the group a terrorist organization to the “aforementioned pattern of political violence designed to suppress lawful political activity and obstruct the rule of law.”
Trump also directed administration officials to “investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations—especially those involving terrorist actions—conducted by Antifa or any person claiming to act on behalf of Antifa.”
Antifa, short for “anti-fascist,” has been involved in numerous violent incidents during protests and riots over the past decade.
This story will be updated with more details.
By Joseph Lord
