The Trump administration has designated several European anti-fascist groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, a move that leading extremism experts have labelled as "ridiculous" and politically motivated, arguing the groups pose no credible threat to the United States.
Experts Challenge the 'Ridiculous' Designations
In a statement released earlier this month, the US State Department named four groups: Antifa Ost in Germany, the Italy-based International Revolutionary Front, and two Greek organisations – Armed Proletarian Justice and Revolutionary Class Self Defense. This places them on the same official list as notorious groups like Islamic State and al-Qaida.
Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, was blunt in her assessment. "The whole thing is a bit ridiculous," she told the Guardian, "because the groups designated by the administration barely exist and certainly aren't terrorists."
Tom Lord, a terrorism researcher and co-founder of Militant-Wire, expressed surprise at the designations, revealing he had informed the State Department just 24 hours prior that three of the organisations were largely defunct.
The Reality Behind the Named Groups
According to experts, the actual activities of these groups are localised and do not target US interests. Antifa Ost faces trial in Germany for alleged attacks on neo-Nazis, sometimes using hammers, earning them the moniker 'hammer gangs'. Their activities were highlighted after an incident at a 2023 far-right gathering in Budapest, which was used by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to justify his own terrorist designation.
Regarding the Greek group Revolutionary Class Self Defense, Lord described it as being primarily associated with one individual, Dimitris Chatzivasileiadis, a Gen-X anarchist whose activities included robbing a state casino before his arrest after accidentally shooting himself in the thigh.
"Greek militants are battling the Greek authorities, Italian militants are battling Italian fascists and Italian authorities," Lord stated, emphasising that none of these entities have ever identified the US as a primary target.
Political Motivations and the Far-Right Context
Analysts suggest the designations are less about genuine counter-terrorism and more about political messaging. Beirich argued the move is "about scaring the left and shifting the discussion away from far-right terrorism, which is where most real attacks are coming from in recent years."
The designations were welcomed by the German far-right AfD party, the most popular far-right political force in Germany since the Nazis. This marks the first time anti-fascist groups have been named to the FTO list, following years of Donald Trump accusing US anti-fascist activists of being a terrorist network.
This comes amidst a statistical surge in far-right terrorism internationally, with groups like the Base and the active club movement exporting violent cells across Europe and North America.
Despite the official designations, one veteran anti-fascist infiltrator suggested the movement is stronger than ever, noting that "It's millions of people now, fighting fascism; the things we suffered for were not for nothing, now it's everybody."
