Blaming them for the continued riots throughout the country as a response to the death of George Floyd, United States President Donald Trump threatened to label the leftist organization Antifa as a terrorist group in one of his tweets, Sunday.
The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2020
However, despite Trump's claims, concerns about the US government's authority to do so rise since Antifa is a wholly domestic group and there is no legislation allowing the president to label them as terrorists in a manner similar to how it can designate foreign groups as such.
In a report by CNN, both past and present government officials have expressed that Trump's actions towards labeling the group as a terrorist organization are against the constitution. They also stated that it is unconstitutional to forbid activities which are protected by First Amendment inside the country only basing on his own ideology.
Moreover, they stated that designating foreign groups as terrorists are allowed by US law since said groups do not have the US constitution protecting them.
Read also: George Floyd Autopsy: Family Rejects Findings by Medical Examiners, Will Seek Private Autopsy
What is Antifa?
Antifa which is short for "anti-fascists," is composed of activists who have expressed opposition to a fascist government and their political views often far-left yet they also do not conform with the platform of the Democratic Party.
The positions of the group are often hard to define, however, it has been observed that many of their members protest against the wealth of elites and corporations and they are also known to support minorities and often oppressed populations.
Labeling them as terrorists
In a report by Aljazeera, Trump's call to designate the group as a terrorist organization follows his and Attorney General Bill Barr's statement saying that far-left groups are mostly responsible for the violent protests that sprouted throughout the country.
According to law enforcement officials, they are no stranger to the fact that many outside groups are responsible for the rampant violence and destruction of property happening in Minneapolis and in other areas of the country, but are hiding behind the legitimate protests. They also stated that those groups usually include white supremacists, far-left extremists, and anarchists.
As a response to the tweet of the President, Fox News reported that Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU National Security Project stated that there is no legal authority that allows Trump or the US government to label a domestic organization as a terrorist group.
Moreover, he stated that just like the way Trump demonstrated in his tweet, the term "terrorism" is usually abused and misused. He also added that designating Antifa as such raises issues regarding due process and breach of the First Amendment.
The country's Department of Justice has already studied the possibility of creating legislation that allows labeling people involved in violent acts threatening national security and those belonging to domestic extremist groups as domestic terrorists. However, the said domestic terrorism law has encountered hurdles due to constitutional issues.
Meanwhile, violence and chaos continue to spread throughout the US after Floyd's death in the hands of a cop.
Related article: Protests Turn Into Looting, Businesses Attacked by Rioters Amid Rallies for George Floyd's Death
