The U.S. State Department has officially designated four European Antifa organizations as global terrorist groups, marking a significant escalation in the administration’s approach to political violence. This action is part of President Donald Trump’s strategy to tackle rising political violence.
The designation includes Antifa Ost in Germany, the Informal Anarchist Federation/International Revolutionary Front in Italy, and two Greek groups, Armed Proletarian Justice and Revolutionary Class Self-Defense. These groups are set to be labeled as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) next week, which will impose asset freezes, prohibit financial transactions, and bar members from entering the U.S.
In an accompanying fact sheet, the department noted that these groups have been implicated in multiple attacks between 2018 and 2023, including assaults in Budapest in February 2023. Hungary also declared the group a terrorist organization in September, reinforcing the international concern around these groups’ activities.
Trump’s directive instructed federal agencies to use all available legal authorities to investigate and dismantle any illegal operations involving Antifa or its associates. The administration has also linked these groups to improvised explosive device attacks and threats targeting political institutions in Italy and Greece.
Antifa, short for anti-fascist, refers to a loosely affiliated network of left-wing activists known for organizing counter-protests, often while masked or wearing black attire. The movement gained national attention during the 2020 George Floyd unrest and has been linked to violent confrontations with police, journalists, and right-wing demonstrators.