By design, antifa is a decentralized, left-wing movement of loosely knit “resistance” networks operating primarily in Democratic strongholds. But in recent years, antifa’s forces have become highly organized and increasingly sophisticated, with organized crime cells cropping up across the country. This Washington Examiner series, Antifa, Inc., will document antifa’s rise in America, dispel modern misconceptions surrounding it, and examine whether RICO charges or a domestic terrorist organization designation could happen in the future.
Part 1: How the antifa movement has metastasized
“Antifa is an idea, not an organization,” Joe Biden, then the Democratic presidential nominee, declared on the 2020 debate stage.
“Not a militia,” Biden insisted, amid more than 100 consecutive nights of antifa-led attacks on federal property, police precincts, and downtown businesses in Portland, Oregon.
Antifa, short for antifascist, is indeed an extremist ideology, a blend of anarcho-communist beliefs opposed to adversaries and policies perceived as “fascist.” However, its left-wing teachings have incited self-identified members to assemble, form factions, and commit crimes in the name of so-called “antifascist” activism.
As Democrats and liberal media outlets downplay the threat of antifa militancy by portraying antifa as a right-wing bogeyman, this nationwide movement is growing in numbers and evolving into high-level criminal operations.
Read more from the Washington Examiner.
Part 2: Could antifa co-conspirators ever face RICO charges?
The question of whether antifa is, in fact, an organization is a long-debated legal question, one Washington has wrangled with for years.
The debate has stumped some lawmakers, unsure about antifa’s physical framework, while spurring others to want to unmask these militants engaged in high-level, and sometimes large-scale, coordinated efforts.
ANTIFA TRACKER: THE FAR-LEFT ACTIVISTS WHO FACE FEDERAL CHARGES UNDER TRUMP’S DOJ
Although many antifa chapters have the hallmarks of a criminal enterprise, antifa’s anonymous and seemingly amorphous nature raises questions regarding whether a diffuse, purportedly leaderless movement can be criminally charged under federal racketeering and conspiracy law.
Read more from the Washington Examiner.
Part 3: Designating antifa as a domestic terrorist organization
The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have long entertained the idea of designating antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.
However, using the term “terrorists” to describe, identify, and sanction domestic groups remains a controversial topic and is considered politically charged by observers on both sides of the aisle.
As the federal statute stands, labeling antifa as a domestic terrorist threat would be largely symbolic, though some proponents support sending a public message as antifa’s forces continue to terrorize communities.