Meet the Hammerbande, One of the Groups the US Classified As an International Terror Organization

Yesterday, Townhall reported that the State Department was going to classify four international Antifa groups as foreign terrorist organizations. In a fact sheet released by the State Department, they listed the four Antifa groups and some of their acts of terrorism.

This includes Revolutionary Class Self-Defense, a Greek anarchist and “anti-capitalist” group. "The group links its actions to broader political and social issues and cites opposition to 'capitalist structures,' 'state repression,' and solidarity with Palestine," said the State Department. The group is behind two IED attacks, one targeting the Greek Labor Ministry in 2024 and one at the Hellenic Train offices in April of this year. They also include another Greek group, Armed Proletarian Justice, which is responsible for planting a bomb near the Greek riot police headquarters in Goudi, Greece, back in 2023.

The Informal Anarchist Federation/International Revolutionary Front (FAI/FRI) is a "militant anarchist" group based in Italy with "historical self-proclaimed affiliates across Europe, South America, and Asia." They've claimed responsibility for multiple "threats of violence, bombs, and letter bombs against political and economic institutions" across Europe and advocate for the "necessity of the revolutionary armed struggle against nation states."

The last group is Antifa Ost, a German-based militant group. According to the State Department, "Antifa Ost conducted numerous attacks against individuals it perceives as 'fascists' or part of the 'right-wing scene' in Germany between 2018 and 2023 and is accused of having conducted a series of attacks in Budapest in mid-February 2023." In September, Hungary declared Antifa Ost a terrorist organization.

One of the Antifa groups designated by the State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization is Antifa Ost, aka Hammerbande. They are known for carrying out brutal hammer and melee attacks on unsuspecting victims. They aim to break their victims' bones. https://t.co/VmDhtqoTMX
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) November 14, 2025

Here's more:

Known as the Hammerbande (“Hammer Band”), Antifa Ost is infamous for its coordinated hammer and baton beatings on political opponents across several EU states.
Once led by Lina Engel and her boyfriend Johann Guntermann, the cell of about 20 known militants have carried out a string of near-fatal beatings from 2018–20. Victims, who were accused of being far-right, suffered broken bones, concussions and skull fractures.
Engel and her group used burner phones, disguises, and fake IDs (for equipment rentals) to evade detection. Arrested in November 2020, Engel’s prosecution became a flashpoint for Antifa in Germany and around the world.
Over the next three years, Antifa rioted repeatedly in Germany, threatening judges, investigators and prosecutors involved in the case. At one point, authorities had to transport Engel by helicopter due to credible threats of attacks on law enforcement.

It's no surprise that Hungary declared Antifa Ost a terrorist organization. In 2023, the group carried out terror attacks on people whom they believed were "right-wing." A man identified by local media as Zoltán T. was struck from behind by the group while he was walking to work. He was left with open, bleeding wounds that the group doused with pepper spray. Authorities said the group carried out similar attacks in the nation.

Despite the documented attacks and anarchy from Antifa, the Left continues to defend the organization. NPR warned on October 28 that "experts" found the classification dangerous.

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