Rubio’s push to target ‘far-left terror’ draws Democratic concerns over politicised counterterrorism efforts
Members of the Palestine Action Group gather ahead of a rally, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Sydney, Australia May 3, 2024. REUTERS
The United States designated Palestine Action on Wednesday as a terrorist group, as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to crack down on left-wing groups in its counterterrorism efforts.
The action comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month told officials from more than 60 countries that Washington would seek to refocus international counterterrorism efforts on what he called “far-left terror”. The conference sparked Democratic concerns that the Trump administration is politicizing counterterrorism efforts and diverting resources from other extremist threats.
Trump singled out the anti-fascist antifa movement on the campaign trail in 2024 and vowed to take action against left-wing groups he accuses of fomenting violence after the killing of conservative activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk last year.
Economic tools
“Far-left extremists, their fronts, and their enablers should be on notice: We will bring the full weight of our economic tools to bear,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Political terrorism has no place in our society, and we will continue to cut the financial lifelines of these groups until they are eliminated.”
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The US Treasury Department on Wednesday also imposed sanctions on an Italy-based entity it accused of supplying digital architecture, tools and services for antifa and other far-left groups.
Britain has also previously banned Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Palestine Action had increasingly targeted Israel‑linked defence companies in Britain, especially Israel’s largest defence firm Elbit Systems.
Responding to the US move on Wednesday, Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, said the group’s activities “have always been about saving lives by disrupting the Israeli war machine”.
“The fact that Trump is now taking inspiration from Britain’s repression of the movement for Palestinian freedom exposes just how dangerous this ban is and should be a wake-up call to anyone who cares about free speech and civil liberties,” Ammori said in a statement to Reuters.
The United Kingdom’s Supreme Court has said it will hear an appeal against a lower court ruling that Britain’s decision to ban campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was lawful.
The US Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on Wednesday on the transnational group Masar Badil, saying it operates as a front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The latter group had already been designated by the US as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation.
