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White House Petition To Recognize Antifa As A Terrorist Organization Hits 100k Signatures

REUTERS/Jim Urquhart

Ian Miles Cheong Contributor
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The petition to the White House to formally classify Antifa as a terrorist organization has hit 100,000 signatures.

Created by an individual going by the initials “M.A.” on August 17, 2017, the petition calls on the U.S. government to formally recognize the leftist extremist movement, Antifa, as a terrorist organization. The petition was created in response to last weekend’s bloody events in Charlottesville, and the rise of the “alt-left” on the national stage, as highlighted by President Trump.

“Terrorism is defined as ‘the use of violence and intimidation in pursuit of political aims’. This definition is the same definition used to declare ISIS and other groups, as terrorist organizations,” reads the petition.

“AntiFa has earned this title due to its violent actions in multiple cities and their influence in the killings of multiple police officers throughout the United States,” it continues. “It is time for the pentagon to be consistent in its actions – and just as they rightfully declared ISIS a terror group, they must declare AntiFa a terror group – on the grounds of principle, integrity, morality, and safety.”

The “We the People” website was first established by the previous administration in 2011 to give the public a way to speak directly to the president or the White House. The White House is obligated to provide an official response to any petitions that receive at least 100,000 signatures within 30 days.

According to the site, accepted petitions are reviewed by “appropriate policy experts,” allowing the administration to issue a response.

Other petitions on the website have mostly gone unanswered—including several calls to preserve the National Endowment of the Arts, and a call for the President to release his full tax returns. It remains to be seen if the White House will respond to this one.

Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken media critic. You can reach him through social media at @stillgray on Twitter and on Facebook.