A poster with the inscription ‘Justice for George’ and ‘Antifa on the offensive’ is held by a protester during a demonstration in 2021. File
| Photo Credit: AP
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (September 17, 2025) said he was designating the left-wing, anti-fascist Antifa movement as a terrorist organisation, in a move following the assassination of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk, who was an ally of Donald Trump, was shot dead on September 10, 2025 during a university event in Utah
In a post on shared on social media platform, Truth Social, Mr. Trump described Antifa as a “sick, dangerous, radical left disaster” and called for a thorough investigation into individuals and organisations allegedly funding the group.
What is the Antifa movement?
Antifa, short for “anti-fascists,” is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups and is not a singular entity. They consist of groups that resist fascists and neo-Nazis, especially at demonstrations. The movement lacks a centralised leadership structure or national headquarters, though some local groups meet regularly. Therefore, it’s unclear how the administration would label what is effectively a decentralised movement as a terrorist organisation, and the White House did not immediately offer more details.
Antifa is a domestic entity and, as such, is not a candidate for inclusion on the State Department’s list of foreign terror organisations. Dozens of groups, including extremist organisations like the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, are included on that list.
The designation matters in part because it enables the Justice Department to prosecute those who give material support to entities on that list even if that support does not result in violence.
Literature from the Antifa movement encourages followers to pursue lawful protest activity as well as more confrontational acts, according to a 2018 Congressional Research Service report.
The literature suggests that followers monitor the activities of white supremacist groups, publicise online the personal information of perceived enemies, develop self-defence training regimens and compel outside organisations to cancel any speakers or events with “a fascist bent”, the report said.
People associated with Antifa have been present for significant demonstrations and counter-demonstrations over the last five years, sometimes involving brawls and property damage.
Trump’s stance on Antifa
Mr. Trump initially floated the idea of such a designation for Antifa in 2020 amid violent nationwide protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. At the time, legal experts said such a step lacked a legal basis, would be difficult to execute, and raised free-speech concerns, given that subscribing to an ideology is not generally considered a criminal act.
Mr. Trump’s previous FBI director, Christopher Wray, said in testimony that year that Antifa is an ideology, not an organization, lacking the hierarchical structure that would usually allow it to be designated as a terror group by the federal government.
(Inputs from AP, Reuters)
Published – September 18, 2025 10:19 am IST
