Trump Says Considering Possibility Of Designating Far-Left Movement Antifa As Terrorists

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was considering the possibility of recognizing the far-left movement Antifa as a terrorist organization

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2019) US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was considering the possibility of recognizing the far-left movement Antifa as a terrorist organization.

Far-right rallies will take place on Saturday in Portland, Oregon, and far-left activists from Antifa intend to stage rival rallies. Oregon police are taking efforts to ensure safety and an additional 1,000 police officers will be deployed on the street.

"Major consideration is being given to naming ANTIFA an 'ORGANIZATION OF TERROR.' Portland is being watched very closely. Hopefully the Mayor will be able to properly do his job!" Trump said on Twitter.

Political opponents previously repeatedly accused Trump of sympathizing with the far-right, but the US president denies this.

In the past, rallies by the far-right and their opponents led to clashes and even fatalities. In 2017, during clashes in Charlottesville, far-right supporter James Alex Fields Jr. intentionally drove into a crowd of people, killing a woman and injuring 38 people. Fields received a life sentence for this crime. Two more police officers died in the crash of a helicopter watching the situation in the city. Also in 2017, two men were killed in Portland when they stood up for two Muslim women on public transport. Portland police arrested far-right protesters in 2017 and 2018.