Republican Senators Ted Cruz (TX) and Bill Cassidy (LA) introduced a resolution on Thursday calling for the far-left extremist group Antifa to be formally labeled as a domestic terrorist organization.
The resolution comes after a self-described member of Antifa attacked an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Tacoma, Washington, over the weekend. The resolution also comes after conservative journalist Andy Ngo was brutally attacked in Portland by an Antifa mob.
“Antifa is a terrorist organization composed of hateful, intolerant radicals who pursue their extreme agenda through aggressive violence. Time and time again their actions have demonstrated that their central purpose is to inflict harm on those who oppose their views,” Cruz tweeted. “Like any terrorist organization they choose to pursue their political ends through violence, fear & intimidation. They must be stopped. I’m proud to introduce this resolution w @SenBillCassidy to properly identify what Antifa are: domestic terrorists.”
In a statement, Cassidy said: “Antifa are terrorists, violent masked bullies who ‘fight fascism’ with actual fascism, protected by Liberal privilege. Bullies get their way until someone says no. Elected officials must have courage, not cowardice, to prevent terror.”
Cassidy tweeted: “Antifa is a domestic terror organization. This is a group of hateful, intolerant radicals pursuing their extreme agenda through violence. They are masked bigots, attacking others b/c they don’t agree with their ideas. The time to stop Antifa is NOW!”
The resolution, which mentions other incidents that Antifa has recently been involved in, “calls for the groups and organizations across the country who act under the banner of Antifa to be designated as domestic terrorist organizations.”
The resolution also calls on the Senate to condemn Antifa’s violence, express the need for peacefully communicating ideas, and calls on the federal government to redouble its efforts in combating all forms of domestic terrorism, including white supremacist terrorism.