Anti-IS Fighter Arrested After Calls To Arms Against Pro-Trump Protest In Florida

Anti-IS Fighter Arrested After Calls to Arms Against Pro-Trump Protest in Florida

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th January, 2021) US law enforcement agents arrested an American, who fought in Syria against the Islamic State (a terrorist organization, banned in Russia) alongside Kurdish militias, after he called for an armed attack on protesters in the state of Florida, the Department of Justice announced.

"Federal law enforcement agents today arrested Daniel Baker of Tallahassee for transmission, in interstate commerce, of a communication containing a threat to kidnap or to injure. Baker issued a call to arms for like-minded individuals to violently confront protestors gathered at the Florida Capitol this Sunday," the statement said on Friday.

The Department of Justice added that Baker specifically called for others to join him in encircling any protesters - US President Donald Trump's loyalists, according to local media reports - and confining them at the state Capitol complex using firearms.

He is described as a former US Army Airborne infrantryman who was kicked out of the service and in 2017 joined the People's Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish group fighting in Syria against IS and the Turkish government.

"He claimed on social media that he was a trained sniper for the YPG, and he can be seen in a documentary film fighting IS and Turkish militants," the Department of Justice said.

It added that Baker actively participated in multiple protests throughout the US last summer and used social media "to promote, encourage, and educate his followers on how to incapacitate and debilitate law enforcement officers."

The Department of Justice said that Baker can be seen in photos and YouTube videos with a variety of firearms, including those with high-capacity magazines. Social media posts also show that he was attempting to purchase additional firearms.

US authorities warned of the possibility of armed protests in 50 US states and the District of Columbia ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration that is to take place two weeks after incumbent Donald Trump's loyalists violently stormed the Capitol in an attempt to prevent the Congressional certification of the election results.