German fascist party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has parroted Donald Trump’s wilfully ignorant nonsense treating ‘Antifa’ as an organised terror group, instead of the loose ideological resistance to fascism that it is, to demand an equivalent ban in the EU.

AfD banning the ‘Antifa’ – whoever that is…

AfD deputy federal spokesman Stephan Brandner echoed Trump’s language, declaring that:

Antifa is a terrorist organisation, and it would be easy for the German state to take action against it, only those in power don’t want to.

As noted, no ‘Antifa organisation’ exists.

Political historians specialising in the study of resistance to fascism have pointed out that this manoeuvre comes as fascist and other far-right groups are gaining ground across Europe and that it likely signals an attempt to enforce even greater repression of left-wing resistance.

But historians of anti-fascism warned that at a time when far-right groups were making electoral gains across the continent, the move set a dangerous precedent that could prepare the ground for a broader crackdown on leftwing activism. By contrast, while Germany’s intelligence services have formally designated the AfD as a “confirmed right-wing extremist” group, the German authorities have done little to prevent its rise to become the country’s largest parliamentary opposition party.

Been here before…

German historian Richard Rohrmoser told Der Spiegel magazine that Trump and those mirroring his tactics are:

pursuing a perfidious tactic. By labelling groups as ‘antifa’, [they] can ban left-wing groups and demonstrations and crack down on opposition figures as soon as someone is seen wearing an antifa sweatshirt or carrying an antifa flag [or against] anyone who is, in a broader sense, to his left, or opposed to [them].

The repression of left resistance is not limited to continental Europe. Indeed, in many ways the UK regime of Keir Starmer is ahead of most European countries and is engaged in a UN-condemned, ever-escalating war on those who resist the UK’s collaboration in Israel’s genocide in Gaza or stand against attacks by the government and far-right groups on refugees and other vulnerable groups.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

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