Title: Strongly condemning the violent actions of Antifa and recognizing that it engages in domestic terrorism.
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
This bill declares that the House of Representatives (1) strongly condemns the violent actions of antifa, (2) recognizes that antifa engages in domestic terrorism, and (3) urges the President and the President's Cabinet to use all available resources to address the threats posed by this extremist movement.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 536 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 536

Strongly condemning the violent actions of Antifa and recognizing that 
                   it engages in domestic terrorism.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 2, 2019

   Mr. Green of Tennessee (for himself and Mr. Walker) submitted the 
   following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Strongly condemning the violent actions of Antifa and recognizing that 
                   it engages in domestic terrorism.

Whereas the misnomer Antifa is a far-left extremist movement that regularly 
        advocates for the forcible suppression of opposition and the radical 
        overthrow of the Government of the United States;
Whereas Antifa threatens freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right 
        to peaceful protest;
Whereas Antifa regularly attacks journalists and other individuals it confronts;
Whereas Antifa engages in domestic terrorism;
Whereas, in early 2016, the Department of Homeland Security under the President 
        Obama administration formally labeled Antifa efforts as ``domestic 
        terrorist violence.'';
Whereas, on January 20, 2017, Chicago Sun-Times reporter Sam Charles was punched 
        in the chest by an Antifa member while covering protests of the 
        inauguration of President Trump;
Whereas, on February 1, 2017, in Berkeley, California, roughly 150 masked Antifa 
        members threw rocks, commercial-grade fireworks, and Molotov cocktails 
        at campus buildings and police officers, and attacked two Berkeley 
        College Republicans;
Whereas, on June 10, 2017, Alpha News reporter Preya Samsundar was physically 
        attacked by an Antifa member while livestreaming a rally outside the 
        Minnesota State Capitol building;
Whereas, on August 13, 2017, a reporter from North Carolina TV station WLOS was 
        assaulted by an Antifa member while livestreaming a demonstration in 
        Asheville;
Whereas, on August 15, 2017, a CBS 6 photojournalist was assaulted in the back 
        of the head with a blunt object by an Antifa member while filming a 
        march in Richmond, Virginia;
Whereas, on August 26, 2017, independent journalist Nathan Stolpman was attacked 
        while filming a protest in San Francisco, California;
Whereas, on August 27, 2017, independent journalist Dave Minsky was hit, kicked, 
        and beaten with a pipe by masked Antifa members while covering a protest 
        in Berkeley, California;
Whereas, on August 27, 2017, an Antifa member started an altercation with Leigh 
        Martinez, a freelance reporter for KTVU, and knocked her phone out of 
        her hand by hitting her wrist while she was filming in Berkeley;
Whereas, on August 27, 2017, freelance reporter Thom Jensen had his phone stolen 
        and dunked in water while covering an Antifa demonstration in Berkeley;
Whereas, on August 27, 2017, reporter Mike Kessler was covering the Antifa 
        demonstration in Berkeley when Antifa members stole his phone and 
        destroyed his camera;
Whereas, on August 27, 2017, in Berkeley, an Antifa member ordered Nathan Hope, 
        a freelance production assistant, to stop filming and knocked his camera 
        out of his hand;
Whereas, on December 18, 2018, documents showed that the Federal Bureau of 
        Investigation was probing an Antifa plot to buy guns from a Mexican 
        cartel and stage an armed rebellion at the southern border;
Whereas, on May 1, 2019, independent journalist Andy Ngo was sprayed with bear 
        repellent and assaulted during an Antifa protest in Portland, Oregon;
Whereas, on July 6, 2019, Antifa members clashed with police while attempting to 
        disrupt a rally in the District of Columbia;
Whereas, on June 29, 2019, Andy Ngo was again attacked during an Antifa protest 
        he was covering in Portland, slammed on the back of the head, punched, 
        and kicked by about a dozen masked Antifa members, and given a brain 
        hemorrhage;
Whereas, on July 13, 2019, an Antifa member armed with a rifle threw incendiary 
        devices at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Washington 
        State;
Whereas in his final statement, this Antifa member stated that for his upcoming 
        attack, ``The semi-automatic weapon I used was a cheap, home-built 
        unregistered `ghost' AR-15, it had six magazines. I strongly encourage 
        comrades and incoming comrades to arm themselves. We are now responsible 
        for defending people from the predatory state. Ignore the law in arming 
        yourself if you have the luxury, I did.'';
Whereas in The Antifascist Handbook, Mark Bray writes ``You fight them by 
        writing letters and making phone calls so you don't have to fight them 
        with fists. You fight them with fists so you don't have to fight them 
        with knives. You fight them with knives so you don't have to fight them 
        with guns. You fight them with guns so you don't have to fight them with 
        tanks.''; and
Whereas violence by a political movement should not be tolerated by the United 
        States of America or any peaceful civil society: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) strongly condemns the violent actions of Antifa;
            (2) recognizes that Antifa engages in domestic terrorism; 
        and
            (3) urges the President and the President's Cabinet to use 
        all available resources to address the threats posed by this 
        extremist movement.
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