America finds itself in the early stages of a violent political insurgency brought about by destructive revolutionary forces from the left. Anarchist and outright Marxist organizations are sowing chaos from coast to coast, escalating attacks from violent rioting to firebombing and even assassinations. Antifa and its allies have made it clear that they are struggling over the long-haul to bring anarchy to America’s political system to produce the circumstances in which they believe that a communist revolution can take place.
Though it seems unlikely that Antifa could ever achieve its ultimate goal, it can produce a considerable amount of violence and chaos in the attempt. Antifa is an international organization with diffuse local actors that actively attempt to avoid allowing themselves to be properly defined in order to avoid national-level legislation to counter the organization’s goals and activities. And that is precisely why states must step up to defend their citizens, ensuring public safety as well as the law and order guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
Extremists have already committed acts of violence in Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, Washington, and California to name a few.
Alabama is an interesting case, the scene of an attempted Antifa bombing in February targeting the Alabama attorney general’s office.
While the Alabama Legislature has taken some good measures to give law enforcement and the criminal justice system the needed tools to prosecute the tactics, techniques and procedures used by Antifa, they could do much more.
In the 2025 legislative session State Sen. Dan Roberts (R-Mountain Brook) authored legislation to protect critical infrastructure, expanding its definition, further defining what constitutes unauthorized entry of critical infrastructure, and providing for the crime of criminal tampering with critical infrastructure. This is significant as Antifa and allied eco-anarchist groups have previously sabotaged critical infrastructures in support of their cause.
In 2023, State Rep. Shane Stringer (R-Citronelle) authored anti-doxxing legislation to protect the personal, private information of law enforcement personnel, firefighters, and public servants. Doxxing is used by Antifa to target the homes and families of law enforcement officers and first responders, particularly those who perform anti-riot duties.
In 2022, State Rep. Scott Stadthagen (R-Hartselle) and State Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) joined forces to sponsor legislation to create the crime of unauthorized entry into any critical infrastructure by unmanned aircraft systems (drones). This was important because all manner of terrorist groups (including Antifa) have demonstrated a willingness to utilize drones for surveillance of electrical generation and transmission facilities, industrial plants of various types, and other forms of critical infrastructure. Drones can also be used to deliver explosives and pyrotechnics. This counterterrorism measure is useful to protect against terrorist threats beyond those presented by Antifa.
Still, there is more that Alabama can do to protect against Antifa’s tactics.
The legislature had the opportunity to play a leading role nationwide in 2021 when State Rep. Allen Treadaway (R-Morris) authored an excellent, comprehensive bill aimed at many of the insurrection tactics used by Antifa and its allies. Known as the Anti-Aggravated Riot Act, the bill created the crime of assault of a first responder, the crime of aggravated rioting and inciting to riot, the crime of unlawful traffic interference, and would have changed the law governing bail to end the revolving door of justice that Antifa members have enjoyed in many states.
Despite having 50 co-sponsors and receiving 74 votes on the House floor, the Anti-Aggravated Riot Act never even got a committee hearing in the Alabama Senate. Antifa is now committing some of the very crimes across America that this legislation would have addressed.
Other Southern states have adopted various forms of legislation similar to Treadaway’s to arm law enforcement with tools needed to protect against the anarcho-Marxist insurrection.
In 2021, working with Gov. Ron DeSantis’s staff, Florida Reps. Cord Byrd and Juan Fernandez-Barquin authored House Bill 1 “Combating Public Disorder.” The bill’s number, 1, signified its importance to DeSantis and the leadership of the Florida legislature. The legislation reclassified “the penalty for an assault committed in furtherance of a riot or an aggravated riot; [prohibited] cyberintimidation by publication; [prohibited] a person from willfully participating in a specified violent public disturbance resulting in specified damage or injury, [and created] an affirmative defense to a civil action where the plaintiff participated in a riot.” This included a circumstance in which a motorist unintentionally injured a rioter while trying to escape from rioters.
Louisiana took another route to target Antifa insurrectionists. Louisiana is one of several states that has a strong state RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) law. Authored by State Rep. Brian Glorioso and passed as Act 549 in 2024, this law amended existing laws addressing the tactics and techniques used by Antifa, making them predicate crimes under the state’s RICO statute. By doing so, each predicate crime resulted in more severe criminal penalties and a civil cause of action with treble damages and attorney’s fees. The criminal offenses that became predicate crimes under RICO included rioting, arson of a religious building, manufacture and possession of a bomb, and criminal damage to historic buildings or landmarks by defacing with graffiti to name just a few.
Given the reality that Antifa’s violent political insurgency is only growing, and that Alabama is not immune to its harm, it will be vital that the state’s lawmakers revisit the anarcho-Marxist threat and pass strong legislation to preserve the peace and security of its citizens as well as uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Christopher Holton is the Senior Analyst and Director for State Outreach at the Center for Security Policy. Over the past 21 years he has been involved in state level security initiatives in 45 states from coast to coast.
Kyle Shideler is the Senior Analyst for Counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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