U.S. Designates Four European Anti-Fascist Groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations

The United States has officially designated four European anti-fascist groups as 'foreign terrorist organizations,' a decision that aligns with President Donald Trump's ongoing campaign against entities associated with the Antifa movement.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this classification on Thursday, which includes the German group 'Antifa Ost' and three additional organizations from Italy and Greece. The designation will take effect on November 20. Rubio indicated that this action underscores what he described as 'President Trump's commitment to countering political violence associated with Antifa.'

According to the statement, 'Antifa Ost' has been implicated in multiple attacks against individuals perceived as fascists from 2018 to 2023 and is also accused of involvement in operations in Hungary in 2023.

The other groups listed are:

- Informal Anarchist Federation / International Revolutionary Front (Italy)
- Proletarian Armed Justice (Italy)
- Self-Defense of the Revolutionary Class (Greece)

This designation bars members of these groups from entering the United States, freezes any financial assets they may possess within the country, and prohibits any material support to them.

'Antifa' serves as a broad term for various far-left groups that oppose fascism. Last September, President Trump issued an executive order designating the movement as a 'domestic terrorist organization.' While not a unified entity, it has faced accusations from right-wing factions of involvement in violent actions during protests.

U.S. officials assert that 'Antifa' groups espouse 'anarchist or revolutionary Marxist ideologies,' which they claim include anti-American sentiments, and use these ideologies to justify violent actions both domestically and internationally.

The movement gained significant visibility in the U.S. following Trump's election in 2016, with cities like Portland becoming focal points for clashes between protesters opposing Trump's security and immigration policies and federal forces accused of targeting those affiliated with 'Antifa.'