By Rounak Bagchi

Copyright timesnownews

The Dutch parliament has backed a motion from far-right opposition leader Geert Wilders calling for Antifa to be designated a terrorist organisation. Wilders’ proposal, adopted on Thursday, claimed that Antifa groups operate in the Netherlands and accused them of threatening politicians, intimidating journalists and students, and disrupting public events. The motion urges the government to follow the US in broadening surveillance and law enforcement powers against Antifa. Ministers must now respond and decide whether to act on parliament’s request. Antifa, short for “anti-fascist,” is generally seen by experts as a loose, decentralised protest movement rather than a structured organisation — raising questions over how such a designation would be applied in practice. What Did Trump Say, and Why? On Wednesday, Trump announced on his social media platform that Antifa would be designated a “major terrorist organisation” after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. “I am pleased to inform our many USA Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” he wrote. Trump and his administration are using the killing of Kirk to threaten to use federal power to punish what it claims is a vast left-wing network that funds and incites violence. Among other things, Trump has also said the Justice Department would conduct a racketeering investigation into George Soros, the billionaire who funds civil-society and liberal causes, accusing him of paying people to riot. Attorney General Pam Bondi threatened to “go after you if you are targeting anyone with hate speech.” Brendan Carr, the Federal Communications Commission chairman, threatened ABC over remarks by the late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, and the network took him off the air. The moves have been welcomed by several Republican lawmakers, while critics have warned it risks undermining civil liberties. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News and around the World.