Eight sentenced to 450 years in prison for violence against ICE officer shot

Eight people with ties to Antifa have been sentenced to 450 years in prison for rioting outside a Texas immigration detention center, US prosecutors say.

A former US Marine who was convicted of attempting to kill a law enforcement officer has been sentenced to 100 years in prison. The justice department announced that the sentence of the others will be 30 to 70 years.

Last year, President Donald Trump called Antifan — short for anti-fascist — “Domestic Terrorist Organization”. .

A US judge on July 4 called their actions “an attack on democracy” and their families condemned the length of their prison terms.

“Today’s sentence makes it clear that Antifa terrorists who attack law enforcement and federal institutions will face swift and decisive justice,” Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanch said in a statement.

According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), North Texas Antifa cell operatives began shooting and throwing fireworks at the facility in Prairieland, south of Dallas, on Independence Day last summer, as well as vandalizing vehicles and a security kiosk on the property.

The eight were charged with violence, using weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists and obstruction.

Benjamin Hanil Song, the alleged leader of the group, was sentenced to 100 years in prison. According to the justice department, he was sentenced to at least 20 years.

Song said in a statement on Tuesday that he fired the gun because he believed the police officer was preparing to shoot protesters, according to several media outlets and advocacy groups for the accused.

His mother, Hop Song, disputed the officer’s claim that he shot and did not intend to hurt anyone, the Associated Press reported.