Antifa on Trial: Members of Far-Left Group Face Attempted...

By Brendan Cole

Senior News Reporter

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Alleged members of a far-left extremist group linked to Antifa are to stand trial for violent attacks in Germany and Hungary.

Antifa, a loosely organized, leftist movement that opposes far-right, racist and fascist groups, has been the focus of President Donald Trump’s attention.

Those standing trial are said to be linked to a group known as "the Hammer Gang" or Antifa Ost, which the U.S. State Department this month placed on its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).

They will appear in a court in the German city of Dresden on Tuesday charged with supporting a far-left criminal organization and attempted murder, accused of targeting people they thought had taken part in a right-wing march.

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Why It Matters

This designation of Antifa Ost on the U.S. list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) announced on November 13 comes amid a broader campaign by the Trump administration against Antifa which it had labeled a domestic terrorist movement in September. The trial in Germany starting this week could reveal more details about the organized nature of the group’s activities.

What To Know

The trial will start on Tuesday at the Higher Regional Court in Dresden of alleged members of the group known as the Hammer Gang (Hammerbande).

Among the seven defendants are the group’s alleged leaders, Johann Guntermann and Paul M., who are charged with membership in or support of a far-left criminal organization and attempted murder, the outlet European Conservative reported, citing German media.

Guntermann has been identified as a key figure in the gang alongside Lina Engel, and they have been accused of carrying out violent attacks in Germany and Budapest. Left-wing extremists allegedly attacked passersby in the Hungarian capital they thought had taken part in a right-wing march.

Germany’s federal prosecutor filed charges in June against seven alleged members of a left-wing extremist group linked to Engel which included attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, aggravated theft, and property damage.

Hammer attacks linked to the group took place between 2018 and 2020 in Leipzig, Wurzen, and Eisenach. In May 2023, Engel and three other members were jailed for more than five years for violent assaults.

The group’s structure and methods have been revealed by Johannes Domhöver, a former member turned informant who has testified that the gang targeted individuals and conducted assaults near demonstrations, using hammers to inflict lasting injuries.

What People Are Saying

The group Dresden Investigative Committee said on its website: "Another trial against anti-fascists will start in Dresden. They are accused of numerous attacks on neo-Nazis. Anti-fascism—especially of an autonomous and militant nature—is under acute pressure of repression."

What Happens Next

The trial starts Tuesday and an average of 10 trial days per month have been scheduled until the summer of 2026 although there could be further court dates until 2027, according to LabourNet, Germany, an online outlet for the organized left in the country.

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