Two petitions have been circulating on social media calling on the federal government to designate the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) as a terror organization.
The New York Post reported that one of the petitions, titled “Make the KKK illegal,” is addressed to Congress.
“The Ku Klux Klan is a white supremacist hate group with [a] historic background of terrorism, including countless physical assaults and murders,” the petition reads. “The KKK is still active in certain parts of the country and has public rallies. Hate should not be a way to bring communities together, nor should it be allowed or tolerated.”
This petition has 368,789 signatures.
The second petition, titled “Declare the KKK as a terror organization,” is addressed to President Donald Trump and Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas).
“The KKK has long been a group of thugs that have suppressed the voices of and invoked fear into Minority Communities across the country,” the petition states. “It is time for that to end. This organization does not belong in this country, if declared a terrorist organization any attack would be an act of terror and will be treated as such.”
It added: “If equality and protecting the American people is your true goal this will easily resonate with you.”
President Donald Trump tweeted on May 31: “The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.” Antifa, which is short for anti-fascist, isn’t an organization with a membership or an official leader. Antifa is a left-wing political movement comprising autonomous groups.
There is a debate as to whether the president or his administration has the legal authority to declare antifa a terrorist organization.
Journal columnist and social media editor Ariel Sobel wrote in a June 1 column, “Many of the most violent hate groups in the United States aren’t designated as terrorists. One notable example is the Ku Klux Klan, which for decades has used bloodshed, intimidation and crime to terrorize Americans.”
She argued that it’s important for white supremacists to be designated as terror groups, citing as an example Patrick Crusius, the suspect in a 2019 shooting at a Wal-Mart in El Paso, Texas, that resulted in 23 deaths.
“Crusius had posted about his intent to kill on the website 8chan,” Sobel wrote. “If white nationalists were considered terrorists, the NCTC (National Counterterrorism Center) might have been able to track and potentially stop the deadliest attack on Latinos in modern American history.”
