Trump administration designates Antifa groups in Europe as ‘global terrorists’

​​​​​​WASHINGTON

The Trump administration on Thursday designated four Antifa-linked militant groups in Europe as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) and announced plans to list them as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), effective Nov. 20.

According to a statement by the State Department, the designations include Germany-based Antifa Ost, also known as Antifa East or Hammerbande; Italy’s Informal Anarchist Federation/International Revolutionary Front (FAI/FRI); and two Greek groups, Armed Proletarian Justice and Revolutionary Class Self-Defense.

It accused the groups of carrying out attacks against government, political and capitalist targets across Europe.

The State Department said the move builds on President Donald Trump’s “commitment to confront Antifa’s campaign of political violence,” describing the groups as part of a network of “revolutionary anarchist or Marxist” organizations that incite “violent assaults domestically and overseas.”

The decision comes two months after Trump signed an executive order to designate “Antifa” -- a term used to describe far-left anti-fascist groups -- as “a domestic terrorist organization.”

“I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in September, calling the movement “a sick, dangerous, radical left disaster.”

Antifa has no central leadership or structure and is composed of “independent, radical, like-minded groups and individuals,” according to a 2020 Congressional Research Service report.