United States authorities have placed Antifa on their list of terror groups. According to The Daily Mail, the FBI and Homeland Security have deemed the group, which is opposed to neo-Nazi groups, as "domestic terrorists." The Law Enforcement Agencies also warned that there could be an escalation of hostilities between the anti-fascist organization and white supremacist groups.
FBI has been studying the Antifa movement
The Antifa has been under federal investigations since last year. Authorities began the probe to determine whether the far-left group could mirror their conservative counterparts and start committing acts of terrorism.
American law enforcement agencies are also concerned that Antifa members could join forces with extremist groups in countries like Mexico and Italy.
With white supremacist groups getting bolder under President Donald Trump's presidency, security officials are concerned that the Antifa could broaden its operations in response. Before the violent clashes at Charlottesville between the Antifa and neo-Nazi groups, Homeland Security had warned of the possibility that the US could witness increased violence between left-wing and right-wing political organizations.
According to news website Politico, a source revealed that the Antifa and other groups had been put under the classification of "domestic terrorist violence."
The Trump presidency has fostered hostilities
Antifa is short for anti-fascist, or Anti Fascist Action.
The group has been in existence since 1920, where it was formed as a deterrent to Nazism gaining ground in Europe. The group has operated under the radar since its inception but resurfaced in the 1930s to clash with Nazis in Germany, Spain, and Italy. Antifa also took on the skinhead movement in the 1980s.
Since Donald Trump assumed office in January this year, white supremacist groups and neo-Nazis have become more vocal and courageous.
The re-emergence of right-wing groups in the US has boosted the standing of the Antifa, with people joining its ranks to oppose the alternate-right. The group has been accused of attending Trump's rallies and white nationalist demonstrations, where they proceed to beat up members of the alt-right.
The Antifa was once seen as a radical organization with extreme political leanings.
However, they style themselves as anarchists who believe that direct action is the best way to deal with neo-Nazis and other extreme right groups. The group is highly secretive, and law enforcement agencies have found it difficult to penetrate it deeply enough to study its beliefs.
