The US State Department has designated the German group Antifa-Ost as a terrorist organization. The designation takes effect on November 20 and bars its members from entering the US. The group is linked to attacks on neo-Nazis.
The US State Department announced on Thursday that Antifa-Ost and three other far-left groups from Italy and Greece have been added to the terrorist list. The designation takes effect on November 20, freezing any US-based assets and making business dealings punishable. Members are barred from entering the US.
Antifa-Ost, also known as the Hammerbande, is blamed for numerous attacks between 2018 and 2023 on individuals perceived as 'fascists' or part of the 'far-right scene.' The group is also linked to assaults on neo-Nazis in Budapest in February 2023. The organizations are described as 'militant,' 'anarchist,' or 'anti-capitalist.'
The other groups include Italy's Informal Anarchist Federation, active since 2003, which sent letter bombs to politicians and institutions. From Greece come the Armed Proletarian Justice and Revolutionary Class Self-Defense, held responsible for explosions between 2023 and 2025, including at the Greek labor ministry and an Athens riot police building. None of the groups operate in the US.
Regarding the Budapest attacks, several alleged members face trial in Karlsruhe and Dresden on charges of membership in a criminal association, grievous bodily harm, and attempted murder. Maja T., another suspected member, is on trial in Budapest for assault and faces up to 24 years in prison. As a non-binary person, Maja T. complained of poor detention conditions and went on a 40-day hunger strike in the summer. Under Viktor Orbán's policies, discrimination is a risk, but the German federal government has not sought repatriation.
Under President Donald Trump, action against far-left extremism has intensified, especially after the assassination attempt on MAGA activist Charlie Kirk. A late September decree labels the Antifa movement a 'militaristic, anarchist' organization that 'explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States government.' Experts note that Antifa is not a single network but loosely organized groups without fixed structures, as confirmed by German constitutional protection and US research institutes. Critics warn of the label's potential misuse against political opponents.