Deeming certain conduct of members of Antifa as domestic terrorism and designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.

Bill: 118-hres-202
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Greene, Marjorie Taylor [R-GA-14]
Introduced: 2023-03-07
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation

Department of Justice

Terrorism
Latest action: action_date: 2023-03-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-03-07
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This resolution deems certain conduct of members of antifa as domestic terrorism and designates antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.</p> <p>The resolution calls on the Department of Justice to (1) prosecute crimes of domestic terrorism by antifa, and (2) use all available tools and resources to combat the spread of such terrorism by antifa.</p>

tv_txt: IV 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 202 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 7, 2023 Ms. Greene of Georgia (for herself, Mr. Gosar , Mr. Hunt , Mrs. Miller of Illinois , Mr. McCormick , Mr. Higgins of Louisiana , Mr. Biggs , and Mr. Santos ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Deeming certain conduct of members of Antifa as domestic terrorism and designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.

Whereas the extremist organization Antifa is motivated by communism, anarchism, socialism, and violence, and has continuously demonstrated their commitment to lawlessness and criminal behavior; Whereas, in 2016, the Department of Homeland Security formally classified Antifa activities as domestic terrorist violence ; Whereas one chapter, Rose City Antifa, has rejected the civil treatment of perceived enemies, stating, We can’t just argue against them; we have to prevent them from organizing by any means necessary. , and this same chapter publicly stated, We are unapologetic about the reality that fighting fascism at points requires physical militancy. ; Whereas the far-left militant organization held signs reading, We are ungovernable and Abolish ICE, no cops, prisons, borders, presidents , illustrating their dedication to lawlessness; Whereas, in response to the 2017 violent riots, an Antifa extremist stated, Sometimes you have to use direct action to stop it because protesting, signs, yelling is not going to do anything. You have to make them afraid. ; Whereas Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray stated in a testimony to the House Homeland Security Committee, We have seen folks who subscribe or identify with the Antifa movement, who coalesce regionally into small groups or nodes and they are certainly organized at that level , proving these extreme, violent attacks, disguised under the name of protests, are coordinated, organized events that are orchestrated by Antifa; Whereas the Congressional Research Service reports that Antifa literature urges followers to publicize information such as home addresses, phone numbers, photographs, and social media profiles of perceived enemies; Whereas, in June 2018, at least 1,500 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (referred to in this resolution as ICE ) employees were doxed by an Antifa-linked Twitter account and were subjected to violent threats and harassments; Whereas, in February 2017, black-bloc, Antifa-affiliated riots resulted in $100,000 worth of damage at the University of California at Berkeley; Whereas, in February 2017, over 200 rioters were indicted on charges of assaulting police officers, torching a limousine, and smashing windows of several businesses, and other Antifa-affiliated rioters were armed with hammers, crowbars, bricks, rocks, flares, firecrackers, and other explosive devices; Whereas, in August 2017, approximately 100 Antifa rioters incited violence during a peaceful rally in Berkeley, California, where these terrorists were repeatedly punching and kicking innocent people, sending several peaceful protestors to the hospital, and ultimately 13 rioters were arrested on a range of charges including assault with deadly weapons and obstructing a police officer; Whereas, in July 2020, a self-proclaimed member of Antifa, Willem Van Spronsen, tossed lit objects at vehicles and buildings, caused a car fire, attempted to ignite a 500-gallon propane tank, and attempted to firebomb the ICE detention facility in Tacoma, Washington; Whereas, in February 2021, the United States Attorney for the District of Oregon stated that Antifa caused more than $2,300,000 in riot damage to Federal property in Oregon, not including any damages to private businesses or State, county, and city buildings; Whereas, over the summer of 2020, Antifa assisted in inflicting over $2,000,000,000 in damages against churches, Federal buildings, businesses, and other downtown structures across 20 States, resulting in the death of at least 30 individuals as well as 700 injured police officers; Whereas, over the summer and fall of 2020, Portland District Attorney Mike Schmidt refused to file charges in approximately 70 percent of the approximate 1,000 protest- and riot-related cases brought by police officers; Whereas, in May 2020, the Department of Justice formally labeled Antifa violence as domestic terrorism in a public statement saying, The violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly. ; Whereas Black Lives Matter-Antifa rioter Malik Fard Muhammad was sentenced to 10 years in Federal prison for repeatedly and intentionally jeopardizing the lives of police officers, destroying public property, and encouraging others to commit violence during protests that occurred in Portland in 2020 ; Whereas, in January 2021, Portland Police Bureau officials reported that Antifa rioters attacked officers in downtown Portland shooting commercial-grade, aerial fireworks and firebombs, and destroying government property and over a dozen downtown businesses; Whereas in that same riot, police were also attacked with bricks, rocks, and frozen water bottles, and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler reported at least tens of thousands of dollars in damage had been done; Whereas, in August 2022, Antifa ardently defended the sexualization of children by guarding a kid-friendly drag show at a North Texas distillery; Whereas, in January 2023, Atlanta police arrested 6 extremists on charges of domestic terrorism following violent riots carried out by members of Antifa who shattered windows, destroyed businesses, torched a police car, and vandalized the walls of the city; Whereas, in January 2023, Antifa issued a statement telling its followers to bring pipes, spray paint, kerosene, and lighters to New York City to Burn it all down ; Whereas, in March 2023, Antifa-affiliated rioters set fire to the future Atlanta police training facility by launching fireworks, Molotov cocktails, and other destructive items at police officers and into the facility’s construction site resulting in arrests of 23 extremists on charges of domestic terrorism; Whereas these coordinated, destructive acts of hate carried out by Antifa are attacks against the Nation’s law enforcement as well as the American people and have no place in the United States; and Whereas members of Antifa are relentlessly dedicated to using acts of domestic terrorism in order to suppress opposing political ideologies: Now, therefore, be it

That— (1) this conduct of Antifa members, or any unlawful conduct performed at an Antifa-affiliated demonstration, is deemed to be domestic terrorism (as such term is defined in section 2331 of title 18, United States Code); (2) the House of Representatives designates Antifa, and any other affiliated group or subsidiary of Antifa, to be a domestic terrorist organization; and (3) the House of Representatives calls on the Department of Justice— (A) to prosecute these crimes of domestic terrorism (as such term is defined in section 2331 of title 18, United States Code) by Antifa; and (B) to use all available tools and resources to combat the spread of domestic terrorism (as such term is defined in section 2331 of title 18, United States Code) committed by Antifa.