Bold Oklahoma district attorney charges violent protesters with terrorism
A District Attorney in Oklahoma, David Prater, recently charged three violent protesters with terrorism according to Oklahoma’s state terrorism statute. D.A. Prater was exactly right to do so and all of America should thank him for taking this bold step to properly charge the perpetrators.
A District Attorney in Oklahoma, David Prater, recently charged three violent protesters with terrorism according to Oklahoma’s state terrorism statute.
D.A. Prater was exactly right to do so and all of America should thank him for taking this bold step to properly charge the perpetrators.
The charges stemmed from a violent protest in Oklahoma City in late May in which police were attacked and city and private property damaged by members of a mob that was flying the Antifa flag, the Soviet hammer and sickle flag and other symbols of communism and socialism.
Three members of the mob, ages 26, 21 and 18, were charged with terrorism in the riot in which a police van was burned.
Predictably, representatives of the ACLU and the radical Marxist Black Lives Matter movement howled in protest over the terrorism charges.
Was it proper for the D.A. to charge members of the rioting mob with terrorism?
Decide for yourself.
Here is the relevant section of the Oklahoma state terrorism statute:
8. “Terrorism” means an act of violence resulting in damage to property or personal injury perpetrated to coerce a civilian population or government into granting illegal political or economic demands; or conduct intended to incite violence in order to create apprehension of bodily injury or damage to property in order to coerce a civilian population or government into granting illegal political or economic demands. Peaceful picketing or boycotts and other nonviolent action shall not be considered terrorism;
That definition of terrorism mirrors state terrorism statute language in dozens of other states which, in turn, mirror federal definitions of terrorism.
Can you think of a description more suitable for the Antifa and Marxist Black Lives Matter violence in America’s streets today? Can there by any doubt that communist militants are using acts of violence to force political and economic demands on America today?
I would maintain that the definition should include “threats” in addition to outright acts of violence. For instance, recently, Antifa members obtained the personal information for many law enforcement officers in the Portland, Oregon area. They distributed this information over social media and during riots, members of Antifa and BLM read the names and addresses of police officers aloud over megaphones. How is this not terrorist activity?
Dozens of other states have terrorism statutes very similar to that in Oklahoma. Why haven’t more district attorneys across America not filed terrorism charges against Antifa perpetrators?
