US Justice Department accuses 15 Minnesota activists of ‘antifa’ activities

The U.S. Justice Department has announced criminal charges against 15 Minnesota activists, whom Attorney General Daniel Rosen described as members of "antifa." The charges, announced Tuesday, are tied to President Donald Trump's directive to "counter domestic terrorism and organised political violence."

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Political violence is a national scourge in our times.

Rosen outlined charges including conspiracy to impede or injure federal officers, solicitation to commit violence, interstate threats, interstate stalking, assaulting federal officers, and destruction of government property. Twelve of the defendants were arrested Tuesday morning, with two still at large and one already in custody. These individuals are reportedly connected to Direct Action Minnesota, formerly Twin Cities Direct Action.

The group had protested Trump's immigration crackdown in Minnesota, known as Operation Metro Surge, which faced criticism for alleged excessive violence and questionable tactics, including entering homes without warrants. The operation resulted in the deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in January, sparking national outrage. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz criticized the operation as a "show of force to intimidate states that voted against Trump."

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Operation Metro Surge was nothing but a show of force to intimidate states that voted against Trump.

Rosen defended the charges, stating the defendants were accused of actions, not words, and conspired to interfere with immigration enforcement through force, not speech. He asserted that such actions would not be tolerated. However, reporters questioned whether federal officers were injured and if the charges constituted "thought crimes."

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These defendants have been charged not for what they said, but for what they did. They all joined an agreement, a conspiracy, to interfere with lawful immigration enforcement operations. The conspiracy was not to interfere by their voice, but to do it by force.