Trump declares Antifa a terror group. But what exactly is it?

Donald Trump has named left-wing Antifa a 'terror group', finally acting on a promise he made in his first term as the US President.

The designation seems to be accelerated by the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a right-wing political activist and a close ally of the US president.

In his announcement, Trump branded Antifa a "sick, dangerous and a radical left disaster." The Republican had previously hinted at the move while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office.

"I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices," he wrote on Truth Social.

Trump since his first term has ascribed blame to Antifa for various actions he dislikes, from violence against police to conducting the US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

What is Antifa?

Turns out Antifa, short for anti-fascist, isn't really an organisation. It has been used as an umbrella term to describe different far-left groups in the US.

Antifa is not a structured group and is often connected to a left-wing social movement. It also does not have any official leader or structure, making it difficult to pin the blame on anyone.

Trump's previous FBI director, Christopher Wray, said in testimony in 2020 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.

NDTV reported that it is a secretive grouping of radical activists that has emerged in recent years. It is not known to have official leaders.

Its members, often dressed entirely in black, protest against racism, far-right values and what they consider fascism, and say violent tactics are sometimes justified as self-defense.

But what's the problem with Trump naming it a terror group? The fact that Antifa is not a terror organisation makes it much harder for federal authorities to launch an investigation. Reports say it would mostly depend on someone actually identifying themselves as an Antifa member.

There's a second problem, too. The consequences of the designation, if any, remain unclear.

While it is illegal to provide “material support” to groups designated by the government as foreign terrorist organisations, the US does not have any analogous laws for domestic groups.