Blazakis: Trump's new order could redefine protests as domestic terrorism'

"President Donald Trump's executive order designating antifa as a domestic terrorist organization was never really about antifa. It was about building a template for repression. Now, with his latest order on Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence, the blueprint is clear: free expression, political dissent and municipal autonomy are in the crosshairs. I've argued in the past that the antifa order was legally flimsy and practically unnecessary."

"Antifa is not a structured organization. It's more an idea than an entity; a loose coalition of individuals dedicated to countering fascism. And while some have crossed the line from peaceful protesters to violent agitators, violence already has ample legal remedies under state and federal law. The danger of the order is in its symbolism, as the administration begins to stress-test just how far it could go in labeling domestic opponents as enemies of the state."

"Cloaked in the language of protecting Americans from terrorism, it opens the door to weaponizing federal law enforcement against the right's political rivals. The Justice Department is now directed to treat broad swaths of dissent in Democratic-led cities, from Los Angeles to Portland, Ore., to Chicago, as organized political violence. In practice, this could mean turning Joint Terrorism Task Forces entities designed to track designated foreign terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda and Islamic State inward on Americans,"

The executive orders on antifa and on Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence establish a blueprint for repressing dissent. Antifa lacks formal organization and already falls within existing criminal law when violence occurs. The orders risk symbolic expansion of state power by labeling broad political dissent as organized political violence. The Justice Department is directed to treat protests in Democratic-led cities as threats, potentially shifting Joint Terrorism Task Forces inward. That could lead to investigations of protest organizers, city officials, charities, and journalists. Employing federal investigative tools against political opponents would chill lawful protest and erode civil liberties.

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