The United States on Thursday designated four groups in Germany, Italy and Greece as global terrorists, accusing them of operating as “violent Antifa” networks amid President Donald Trump’s renewed crackdown on left-wing extremism.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said German-based Antifa Ost had been listed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity, alongside three additional groups in Italy and Greece: the Informal Anarchist Federation/International Revolutionary Front, Armed Proletarian Justice, and Revolutionary Class Self-Defense.
Rubio said he intends to designate the groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations on November 20 and warned that more groups linked to Antifa-style movements could face U.S. sanctions.
“Groups affiliated with this movement ascribe to revolutionary anarchist or Marxist ideologies, including anti-Americanism, ‘anti-capitalism,’ and anti-Christianity, using these to incite and justify violent assaults domestically and overseas,” he said.
He added that Washington would use all available tools to deny resources to such groups, expanding Trump’s long-standing effort to confront what he describes as Antifa-driven political violence.
Trump and Republican allies have repeatedly accused Antifa-linked activists of fueling unrest, including protests against federal immigration authorities and the September killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Trump previously threatened to target Antifa during his 2017–2021 term and declared the movement a terrorist organization by executive order in September.
Antifa, short for “anti-fascist,” is not a single organization but a diffuse, leaderless movement, according to a 2020 Congressional Research Service report.
The U.S. designation follows years of concern from German intelligence services. A 2024 report identified Antifa Ost as a violent extremist network responsible for attacks on individuals it deemed “fascists” or part of the right-wing scene.
The State Department says the group carried out a series of assaults in Budapest in February 2023.
Four individuals linked to the group were arrested between December 2023 and November 2024, accused of violently targeting people they viewed as far-right extremists.
Although authorities believe the arrests weakened the network, German intelligence warned its members continue to threaten the AfD, a far-right party cultivating ties with the Trump administration.
German ministries did not immediately comment on the U.S. designation.
The Italian and Greek groups listed have claimed responsibility for attacks in recent years, though most caused minor damage and no casualties. Greece’s Revolutionary Class Self-Defense admitted carrying out an April explosion at Hellenic Train and a 2024 attack on the labour ministry after police evacuated the area.
Meanwhile, Greece’s Armed Proletarian Justice claimed responsibility for planting a bomb near the riot police headquarters in Athens’ Goudi district in 2023.
A Greek official, speaking anonymously, said the government remained committed to preventing terrorism, adding, “We are against any terrorist act and terrorist organization.”
Italy’s government offered no immediate response.
The U.S. actions mark one of the administration’s most sweeping moves to target groups it associates with Antifa, escalating an already contentious debate over the nature of left-wing activism and political violence in Europe.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
