“Antifa” Protesters Charged With Terrorism for Constitutionally Protected Activity
After a protest against ICE, federal prosecutors pursued guilt-by-association charges against two “antifa” protesters.
Federal prosecutors are making good on the Trump administration’s threat to treat antifa-related activity as terrorism.
On Thursday afternoon, prosecutors in Texas announced that terrorism charges had been filed against two people for alleged involvement in a shooting during a July 4 protest against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, in which a local police officer was injured.
This is the first time federal terrorism charges have been deployed in association with the “antifa” label, just a month after President Donald Trump announced that he was designating antifa a “major terrorist organization” — a designation that does not exist under law for domestic groups.
President Donald Trump announced that he was designating antifa a “major terrorist organization”
The Prairieland case is setting a chilling example for how the government will use so-called counterterrorism efforts to crush anti-fascist dissent.
Author's summary: Protesters charged with terrorism for protected activity.