The designation…presents a dire threat to the civil liberties of all citizens.

(SPLC in response to President Trump’s tweet)

 

Surely you would not have imagined otherwise.

Like the three little monkeys, here is the Southern Poverty Law Center that sees no haters in a violent Antifa.

Designating Antifa as Domestic Terrorist Organization Is Dangerous, Threatens Civil Liberties

Antifa, short for anti-fascist, is a broad, community-based movement composed of individuals organizing against racial and economic injustice. Those who identify with the label represent a large spectrum of the political left. The Trump administration frequently uses the term to describe any group or individual that demonstrates in opposition to its policies. Far-right extremists use similar tactics.

The move by the president is an unprecedented and alarming development with significant implications for the civil liberties of U.S. citizens, particularly those of color, who are already disproportionately policed. The designation would grant federal law enforcement broad powers, under the federal terrorism code, to surveil and investigate anyone labeled as antifa. It could also allow federal law enforcement to broadly target anyone involved in protests viewed unfavorably by the Trump administration, even retroactively.

President Trump’s announcement is rooted in politics, not the present realities of the terror threat in the U.S. Classifying antifa as a domestic terror organization has been a wish-list item for the president’s allies on the far right and in the conservative mainstream for years. The designation retreads some of the darkest moments in our federal law enforcement’s past, further victimizes communities that have already been wronged and presents a dire threat to the civil liberties of all citizens.

More here.

Check out the link under the photo above to see how hard it would be (but not impossible) to get a terrorist designation accomplished and see this story from CNN (yes, CNN) to learn more about Antifa and what they want.

The exact origins of the group are unknown, but Antifa can be traced to Nazi Germany and Anti-Fascist Action, a militant group founded in the 1980s in the United Kingdom.

Modern-day Antifa members have become more active in making themselves known at public rallies and within the progressive movement, says Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

“What they’re trying to do now is not only become prominent through violence at these high-profile rallies, but also to reach out through small meetings and through social networking to cultivate disenfranchised progressives who heretofore were peaceful,” Levin said.

[….]

While it can be difficult to distinguish Antifa activists from other protesters, some dress head to toe in black. Members call this the “Black Bloc.”

They also wear masks to hide their identities from the police and whomever they are protesting.

More here.

P.S. Putting ol’ Joe in the White House is not going to end the pain, but unfortunately there will be many naive and weak Americans who think it will.