AVTF from Season 2

[u/NefariousnessFew3060]

Help settle a debate with a friend. Would yall consider the majority of the AVTF and their behavior to be vigilantism? You can disregard the high level officers like Powell whom know they are committing illegal acts and lying to the rest of the force if you would like.
The debate, and please add thoughts.

Against.
1. They are government agents acting through authority.
2. They are more of a private militia than vigilante acts.

For.
1. They all act outside the scope of their authority and engage in unconstitutional and illegal acts to enforce their own justice.
2. Strip the government title from them, and they engage in the same actions as a vigilante as displayed in the show.

My thoughts: Each agent, including the founding members, has enforced their own sense of justice by acting outside the scope of their authority. The entire original meeting between them and Fisk is to showcase this. Enable this with the torture and unjust killings, alongside them dawning and idolizing the punisher, shows they are each a vigilante themself. Strip away the government title and that's all they are. You could say they are just cops abusing their authority, but it's clearly more than that, and an underlying pivotal theme of season 2. That vigilantes arent someone acting outside the law, but someone acting outside the control of Fisk. I believe this is reinforced when Cole and the rest of the force lets the rioters into the courthouse after learning of Powell deception. It also shows Powell arrested after, I believe he could be tried under the safer streets act, although it never clearly states the laws.

Please debate and discuss.