A report released last week by Fox News detailed what the FBI is now calling a domestic terrorist threat by “Black Identity Extremists.” The shooting of Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, prompted the FBI investigation and report into a “violent domestic threat from black identity extremists.” These groups have not only stepped up their attacks on police and protested after what they believe to be other racially charged shootings, but have organized nationwide groups, such as the “Black Lives Matter” movement.

Triton’s AP Government and Politics teacher, Mr. Timothy Coyle, said in short, that he is gravely concerned.

“I am wondering if there is someone who is concerned about the FBI’s activities, and that is why they leaked the article,” Coyle said.

While this report is bound to inflame some, and has the potential to increase violence and protests, this leak has the ability for many to learn and to lessen the divide between group if groups come together and learn about each other. Mr. Chad Richard, another Triton High School history teacher, believes that students should use this opportunity to learn about one another’s culture.

“In a very non diverse district like this one, I think that students should read this report carefully, in regards to black culture and black history,” said Richard. “To the unsuspecting person, they will read only the title of the report, which most people do and believe that Black Lives Matter is shooting at the police. You will then have scared white people believing something that isn’t true.”

The reason that the FBI just recently started calling them “black identity extremists,” however, is due to the fact that violence between these groups and law enforcement officials has actually occurred, and that it is “likely” to continue.

Amanda Manganello, a Triton senior, said “It is very upsetting that the protests, in regards to the shooting of Brown, had to turn so violent. This just leads to more tension and the it becomes one big vicious cycle.”

“You can support Black Lives Matter and not want to shoot cops,” said Richard. “These crazed people are all lumped together with people who are concerned about police brutality, which is real.”

“It is very likely that BIEs’ perceptions of unjust treatment of African-Americans and the perceived unchallenged illegitimate actions of law enforcement will inspire premeditated attacks against law enforcement over the next year,” the report said. “It is very likely additional controversial police shootings of African-Americans and the associated legal proceedings will continue to serve as drivers for violence against law enforcement.”

“I completely agree with the quote in the article that says additional African-American and police involved shootings will increase the violence against law enforcement officials, due to the fact that it becomes a vicious cycle,” Manganello said.

Coyle feels as though it is “dangerously over simplistic to say that one person holding a sign that says ‘kill the cops’ represents the views of a group of thousands.” Both Coyle and Richard are concerned that this report is very broad, and includes generalizations that are not true, and that those generalizations cause misconceptions among the general public.

The FBI did not, however, say that the groups should be required to stop protesting, or that their protests were unwarranted, and in fact, said “Protesting is everyone’s right. This is about committing acts of violence.”

Coyle and Richard both said that they feel this kind of report puts a damper on people’s right to free speech, and their ability to peacefully protest.

“If peaceful protest organizations feel that they are being watched and listened to by the government, it puts a chill on their expression of free speech,” Coyle said.