Trump declares Antifa as a designated terrorist organization
In a recent announcement, President Donald Trump expressed his intention to designate the Antifa movement in the USA as a "significant terrorist organization." This proposal comes a week after the attack on right-wing US activist Charlie Kirk.
The FBI's understanding of Antifa as a movement rather than an organization complicates efforts to designate it as a significant terrorist organization. The FBI Director, Christopher Wray, previously stated that the FBI views Antifa more as a movement than an organization.
Antifa in the USA has no clear leadership figure or central coordinating body. It is described by experts and researchers as a loosely organized ideological movement without a defined hierarchy or organization structure. Numerous local groups and initiatives in the USA come together under the terms "Antifa" or "Antifascist Action" for specific occasions or use these as part of their name. These local groups are often loose, time-limited connections with changing persons who are partly, but not exclusively, active in the left-wing extremist field of 'Antifascism'.
The lack of a clear organizational structure has been a point of contention in discussions about designating Antifa as a terrorist organization. The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution notes that these groups are not a structured organization with a consistent membership.
Trump's deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, recently spoke of an "organized campaign" by left-wing groups that led to the attack. Miller is considered a hardliner within the Trump camp. He also referred to Antifa as an "international terrorist movement."
However, the loosely organized structure of Antifa makes it difficult for authorities to hold individuals accountable for actions taken under the Antifa banner. In the past, the FBI has acknowledged the challenge of investigating Antifa due to its decentralized and leaderless nature.
Trump did not elaborate on how he plans to do this, given the loose nature of the movement and its lack of organizational structures. Miller said that comprehensive resources of the US government would be used to dismantle this movement "in the name of Charlie."
Trump had previously announced a similar designation during his first term. The Antifa movement in the USA, according to non-profit research institutes and civil rights organizations, has no clear organizational structure. Trump did not directly link the two in his post, but had previously blamed "radical left" rhetoric for the act.
The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution agrees: there is no nationwide acting, clearly defined, and structurally consolidated Antifa organization in Germany. The announcement has sparked debates and concerns about the potential implications and feasibility of such a designation.
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