Trump Designates European Antifa Groups as Terrorist Groups in Crackdown

The administration of President Donald Trump has officially designated four European left-wing and anarchist networks as terrorist organisations, escalating its long-running push to clamp down on extremist groups linked to political violence. The decision marks one of the strongest international actions yet taken by the administration as it continues to respond to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which sparked nationwide political unrest.

The newly listed groups, all based in Europe, have been associated with a range of violent incidents over the past two decades—from bomb plots and attempted assassinations to coordinated attacks on neo-Nazi groups. While none of them operate within the United States, the designation allows American authorities to monitor and block any financial support linked to U.S. entities.

Four Groups Targeted Under Trump’s Order

The networks added to the U.S. terror list include an Italian anarchist front responsible for mailing explosive devices to top European officials in the early 2000s, two Greek groups behind bomb attacks on police and government buildings in Athens, and a German anti-fascist network whose members were prosecuted for assaulting extremists in Dresden.

The most well-known of these is the International Revolutionary Front, also known as the Informal Anarchist Federation, which gained notoriety after sending explosive packages to then–European Commission President Romano Prodi in 2003. The group resurfaced in 2012 when members shot and wounded the CEO of an Italian nuclear engineering firm—a calculated act meant to intimidate rather than kill, echoing a violent anarchist tactic from the 1970s.

Over the years, the organisation has also claimed responsibility for letter bombs sent to the former head of Deutsche Bank and multiple European embassies.

In Greece, two other groups—Armed Proletarian Justice and Revolutionary Class Self-Defense—have been linked to a series of bombings targeting police stations, labour offices, and transportation agencies. In each case, callers warned of the explosives ahead of time, which is believed to be the reason no casualties were reported.

The fourth group, Antifa Ost, or “Antifa East,” is known for physical confrontations with neo-Nazi groups in Germany and Eastern Europe. Several members were jailed in 2023 for participating in coordinated hammer attacks. Recent charges suggest the network may have expanded operations into Budapest.

Trump Cites ‘Rising Extremist Threat’

The Trump administration justified the decision by stating that “anarchist militants have waged terror campaigns in the United States and Europe,” accusing them of working to destabilize Western democracies through targeted violence. Officials argue that these networks, although geographically distant, are ideologically linked to individuals who have embraced political violence across borders.

The announcement follows Trump’s earlier move to label antifa a domestic terror organisation after the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk—a designation that remains symbolic since domestic groups cannot legally be added to the State Department’s foreign terror list.

European Response and Historical Context

Authorities in Italy, Germany, and Greece have yet to issue formal responses, though most of the cited networks have been under scrutiny or prosecution for years. Greece, in particular, has a decades-long history of anarchist and far-left violence, with several groups previously classified as terrorist organisations by the U.S.

While left-wing violence in Europe has periodically surged, studies in the U.S. show that recent political violence has more commonly come from far-right actors. However, the Trump administration has increasingly spotlighted left-wing extremism following Kirk’s assassination, a killing prosecutors say was motivated by the attacker’s opposition to Kirk’s political positions.

What the Designation Means

The terror classification empowers U.S. agencies to freeze assets, block financial transactions, and take action against anyone providing material support to the targeted networks. Though the groups have no operational presence in the United States, the administration argues the move sends a global message about combatting ideological violence.

As the political climate intensifies ahead of the next election cycle, Trump’s actions underscore a broader effort to reshape the government’s approach to extremism—placing European antifa-aligned groups squarely in the crosshairs of U.S. foreign policy.