FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Nine activists were convicted on terrorism and other charges in a federal trial in Texas earlier this month, following a protest outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility near Fort Worth last year. Eight of the protesters were convicted of riot, explosive charges, and providing material support to terrorists, while a ninth, Benjamin Song, was convicted of attempted murder and additional firearms charges.

The activists had planned to set off fireworks outside the ICE facility in solidarity with those detained inside and traveled to the protest with a cache of automatic weapons and body armor they said was for self-defense against counter-protesters. During the demonstration, a small group of protesters broke away and vandalized cars, spray-painted graffiti, slashed tires on a government van, and broke a security camera.

When a police officer arrived on the scene and drew his weapon, one of the activists opened fire with an AR-15 and hit the officer in the shoulder. The officer survived. Seven of the defendants, all but the shooter, were acquitted on attempted murder charges.

A person who was not at the protest was convicted on charges related to moving a box of zines in the days after the demonstration. Prosecutors pointed to the protesters' use of the messaging app Signal, their dark clothing, and their reading of leftwing literature in a book club to argue that the demonstrators were part of a coordinated group.

The Justice Department's press release announcing the verdict used the word "antifa" 16 times. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said, "Today's verdict on terrorism charges will not be the last as the Trump administration systematically dismantles antifa and finally halts their violence on America's streets."

U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman asked prosecutors during the trial, "Whether it's antifa or the Methodist Women's Auxiliary of Weatherford, why does it matter?" Pittman's jury instructions included the word "antifa" only once, in passing.

Cody Cofer, a lawyer for defendant Autumn Hill, said, "Those acquittals suggest that jurors did not buy the narrative from prosecutors that law enforcement officials had been ambushed." Cofer also said, "People should be scared."

Cofer said of prosecutors' use of cultural evidence, "There is an online culture, Reddit culture, that these government officials just absolutely know nothing about and only have contact with it through the investigation of crimes. When you only have contact with these cultural characteristics through criminal investigation, you just naturally have this sample bias of 'Oh, this is indicative of criminal conduct.'"

The federal government does not currently have any other pending cases alleging terrorism or other criminal charges against people accused of being members of antifa. An FBI document obtained in December said the agency had launched criminal and domestic terrorism investigations in at least 23 regions.