The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) has launched a petition urging the Department of Homeland Security to officially designate certain groups affiliated with Antifa as domestic terrorist organizations.

“Some Antifa groups have taken opposition to our democratic system to an unprecedented level, escalating ‘resistance’ to violence against their opponents and bystanders alike. Using violence to create fear in pursuit of political aims is the textbook definition of terrorism and we, the American people, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security should recognize them as such. It is misguided to believe these groups care about peaceful dialogue. Physical violence and speech-silencing tactics are the tools of the despotic communist regimes of the Cold War and those that still exist in places like Venezuela and Cuba,” VOC Executive Director Marion Smith said in a statement.

She added that “in America, free speech is a sacrosanct and inalienable right. We must no longer provide these groups, or any political groups that are explicitly opposed to our constitutional rights, with the space to harm citizens and damage American democracy.”

A previous White House petition to formally declare Antifa a terrorist organization received over 100,000 signatures in just three days. It has now been signed by 365,628 people.

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“Terrorism is defined as ‘the use of violence and intimidation in pursuit of political aims’. This definition is the same definition used to declare ISIS and other groups, as terrorist organizations. AntiFa has earned this title due to its violent actions in multiple cities and their influence in the killings of multiple police officers throughout the United States,” the White House petition states.

Members of Antifa tend to believe that violence is justified when used against political foes or to send a message during protests. Many claim that violence against “fascists,” or anyone to the right of Karl Marx, is justified as self-defense from an imagined threat. From rioting and causing over $500,000 in property damage to the area surrounding University of California at Berkeley to prevent Milo Yiannopoulos from speaking to bashing a stranger over the head with a bike lock for the crime of supporting our president, members of Antifa have become increasingly willing to use violence for political aims since the election.

Antifa encourages people to wear all black from head to toe, including masks or bandanas to cover their faces, to implement a tactic called “black bloc” which makes it harder for police to identify and arrest those among the mob who commit crimes.

The tactic was first used in the United States in 1988 at a protest outside the Pentagon, but was not a frequent sighting until the Occupy Wall Street protests. It has since been used at protests and riots across the nation.