GOP Rep. Paul Gosar said it is time for the Justice Department to step in and handle violent protesters affiliated with Black Lives Matter and antifa movements.
During a Wednesday appearance on Newsmax TV’s “National Report” the Arizona lawmaker called both groups “terrorist organizations.”
He said the Department of Justice should intervene the same way it did to stop organized crime.
“They are planning to cross state lines,” he said of BLM and antifa. “Those would be the same jurisdictions that we look at terrorism and RICO violations.”
He said the federal government should be able to apply RICO standards to both groups.
“Peaceful demonstration is one thing, but when you take it to the next level, that is anarchy,” Gosar said. “The rioting and looting, that is not America. That is now law abiding. We need to call this out. We need the DOJ to step up.”
His comments echoed a tweet he posted several days ago where he called on the DOJ to “step up.”
“We are being attacked by domestic terrorists. Still waiting for @TheJusticeDept to step up. These are civil rights violations,” he wrote.
He noted that 24 hours after federal law enforcement agents were sent to Minneapolis and Kenosha, Wisconsin, the ongoing violent protests were quelled.
Gosar also discussed his stance on the shooting incident in Kenosha that involved 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse. The teenager is accused of shooting three people during a protest and faces homicide charges. The incident is under investigation.
The lawmaker said Rittenhouse acted in self-defense.
“He had every right to defend himself,” Gosar said.
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