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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Martin Pengelly in Washington

Senior Democrat calls for arrests of ‘leftwing fascists’ urging Gaza ceasefire

a man in a suit and tie speaks
Adam Smith in Washington last year. Photograph: Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Protesters calling for Israel to cease fire in its war with Hamas who have disrupted US public events and infrastructure are practicing “leftwing fascism” or “leftwing totalitarianism”, a senior US House Democrat said, adding that such protesters are “challenging representative democracy” and should be arrested.

“Intimidation is the tactic,” said Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democrat on the House armed services committee. “Intimidation and an effort to silence opposition … I don’t know if there’s such a thing as leftwing fascism. If you want to just call it leftwing totalitarianism, then that’s what it is. It is a direct challenge to representative democracy now.”

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