In May this year the US was seriously jolted by a terrorist outfit that unleashed unrest across the country. It all started from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area after George Floyd, a 46-year-old black American, was killed by the police. The unrest spread over 2,000 cities across the US Washington DC had to activate over 62,000 National Guard personnel to control the protestors.

The killing of Floyd was followed by a large-scale protest, arson and looting. And Antifa’s role was significant in this large-scale unrest that caught the attention of the world. President Donald Trump squarely blamed the Antifa for rioting and looting. This was not the first time that Trump had fixed his focus on Antifa.

Earlier, in August 2017, when protestors turned violent in Charlottesville, Virginia, Trump had claimed the alt-Left groups had a role to play. He said that "many sides" were to blame for the violence and not just the neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan (KKK), and white nationalists. Antifa has been operating in Europe for many decades—conspicuously in Italy against Mussolini, and in Germany against Hitler.

In the post-war era, Antifa swelled up to fight neo-Nazi groups in Germany while much later in the 1980s, it got its wings in the US under the patronage of Anti-Racist Action. Interestingly, Antifa is not one single unit or organization. It, therefore, does not have a leader as such. It is a loose confederation of like-minded activists, often acting anonymously. What is worrisome is that it is a movement which has been under the radar; it often uses different state groups to further their agenda.

According to historian Mark Bray of Rutgers University, an expert on such movements, Antifa was first used in Germany in the 1930s for a militant movement opposing the Nazi regime, and “Antifa committees” emerged toward the end of World War II with a revolutionary socialist leaning. The main objective of Antifa is to stop neo-Nazis and white supremacy.

The Antifa groups claim to be anti-racist, anti-sexist and anti-homophobic. But, at the same time, they are largely anti-capitalist. They have a unique pattern of demonstration. Typically, Antifa members who resort to demonstrations and protests are not only dressed in black but wear masks. Traditionally, Antifa activities were non-violent. They would protest by hanging posters, delivering speeches, and marching. But over the years, the group has become violent.

On May 31, the Trump administration designated Antifa as a terrorist organization. Attorney General William Barr said that the “violence was instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups.” According to US officials, the principal funding of Antifa and the Black Lives Matter movement has come from George Soros and his Open Society Foundations, which has directed $38 billion for operations in 120 countries. Soros has been responsible for funding terror activities and disruption of governments around the world for decades. He pledged $1 billion last year against “resurgent nationalism” and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on his radar. This was in the wake of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Despite such violent claims bordering around terrorism, what has come as a surprise is that many observers have opposed the Trump administration move and tacitly supported Antifa. There has been a political tussle between the Trump administration and Antifa but it will not be easy for the US authorities to ban the group. Reason? It enjoys support in many quarters worldwide. US’ presidential candidate Joe Biden has already stated that he will look into the issue including that of the recent protests, if he comes into power. According to the US-based think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the US will face a growing terrorism problem over the next year.

The think tank has also divided terrorism into four broad categories—Rightwing, Leftwing, religious, and ethno nationalist. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has said that the "most persistent threats" to the US come from homegrown violent extremists. The FBI has also described Antifa "more as an ideology than an organization.” Several investigations into violent criminal activities by individuals who subscribe to an Antifa-like ideology are currently underway. And here China’s role in promoting Antifa cannot be ignored.