Attorney General Bill Barr is under fire for claiming in a Thursday afternoon press conference that “Antifa” is responsible for violence seen at some of the largely peaceful protests across the nation, while ignoring the arrest of far right wing extremists for actual or attempted violence at protests. Barr mentioned “other similar groups” but none by name or specific political affiliation, including right wing white supremacists.
Barr made his remarks attempting to attack the left despite his own Dept. of Justice on Wednesday announcing the arrest and filing of charges against members of a far-right extremist movement “for conspiracy to cause destruction during protests in Las Vegas, and possession of…a Molotov cocktail.”
The FBI, in fact, has issued a report contradicting President Donald Trump and Attorney General Bill Barr’s politicized claims that “Antifa” is at the center of the violence being committed as largely peaceful protestors respond to the killing of George Floyd.
“The FBI has found no evidence that the American militant anti-fascist movement Antifa was involved in violence that erupted during national protests over the death of George Floyd,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Wednesday, citing a report at The Nation.
On Sunday, Attorney General Barr had issued a statement claiming the “violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly.”
On Thursday afternoon he echoed those words, ignoring his own FBI’s report, saying: “We have evidence that Antifa and other similar extremist groups, as well as actors of a variety of different political persuasions, have been involved in instigating and participating in the violent activity.”
Aside from Antifa, which is not an organized group but rather a straw man the right uses to attack the left, Barr did not specifically name any of the other groups he says he has evidence of committing violence and other illegal acts – or their actual political affiliation.
On social media, many are recoiling in anger and outrage over his latest politicization of the Dept. of Justice. Some were happy to provide actual evidence that the violence is largely instigated by those on the right, including white supremacist groups and the right-wing “Boogooloo” movement – some of whom have already been arrested this week.