# Supporting acts of violence/damage/destruction - illegal?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supporting-acts-of-violence-damage-destruction-illegal/306891>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 4, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supporting-acts-of-violence-damage-destruction-illegal/306891 "2005-06-04T15:52:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supporting-acts-of-violence-damage-destruction-illegal/306891/1 "2005-06-04T15:52:47Z")

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(I would simply like to know whether this is illegal or not. Whether it should be or should not be are not what I am interested in discussing.)

Is it illegal - that is, are there laws specifically stating that it is illegal - for any person within the borders of the United States and its territories to knowingly and actively support organizations or plans to carry out acts of violence or damage/destruction against civilians or military personnel?

What sorts of support would be considered illegal:  
managing of finances  
donation of money  
assistance with recruitment  
assistance with propaganda/public relations/publicity  
assistance with the procurement, storage, or determination of materiel  
assistance or management of relations with supporters or allied organizations

If the abovementioned is/are illegal, what is the specific designation of the sort of crime? What is it known as?

Thanks.

WRS

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**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supporting-acts-of-violence-damage-destruction-illegal/306891/2 "2005-06-04T19:43:59Z")

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Why don’t you just call your local FBI office and ask?

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**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supporting-acts-of-violence-damage-destruction-illegal/306891/3 "2005-06-04T19:51:37Z")

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[Here’s one of many](http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sup_01_18_10_I_20_113B.html). The things you describe would be acts of terrorism, providing material support to terrorists, providing material support or resources to designated foreign terrorist organizations, financing of terrorism, and likely a host of other crimes elsewhere in the U.S. Code.

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**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supporting-acts-of-violence-damage-destruction-illegal/306891/4 "2005-06-04T20:00:47Z")

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It’s called complicity and carries the same weight of charges that actually doing the deed does.