In one of the cases in which Antifa International intervened, dozens of activists in London last year physically prevented a busload of immigrants from being transported to a barge off southern England by slashing the vehicle’s tires and
A global antifa organization has helped bail out arrested associates around the world, even getting their criminal charges dropped.
Antifa International, a transnational network working to set up antifa cells worldwide, provides material support to hundreds of antifa militants by way of its bail fund.
The International Anti-Fascist Defense Fund, which acts as Antifa International’s funding arm, pays for the legal representation of criminally accused antifascists “anywhere in the world,” including the United States.
In America, for example, the fund distributed $5,050 to the legal defense of a Texas antifa cell whose suspected members are charged with attempted murder, terrorism, and organized crime for allegedly ambushing law enforcement at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility on July 4. The coordinated attack left a local officer shot in the neck.
“The stakes could not be higher for our friends,” says a blog post by Antifa International, titled “Showdown in Alvarado,” about the slew of charges carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Antifa International sent the disbursement, which was allocated from its defense fund, on GiveSendGo. “With love and solidarity from your friends,” Antifa International captioned the contribution, the fundraising campaign’s top donation to date.
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Since its inception in 2015, Antifa International’s legal aid fund has had considerable success helping antifa defendants get off scot-free.
Antifa International touts its intervention in these criminal cases as “money well-spent,” celebrating when beneficiaries of the bail fund are able to “walk away from criminal trials with not guilty verdicts” or “have their charges thrown out altogether!”
Via announcements about fund-backed court victories, Antifa International keeps “score” of successful outcomes, sending out case updates, such as “Anti-Fascists 2, Authorities 0” and “Five Anti-Fascists Go Free – 39 More To Go!”
In one of the cases in which Antifa International intervened, dozens of activists in London last year physically prevented a busload of immigrants from being transported to a barge off southern England by slashing the vehicle’s tires and forming a blockade around the passenger bus for seven hours. Arrests were made for offenses including obstruction of the highway, hindering law enforcement duties, and assault on police.
“The Defence Fund stepped in to help pay for [the] legal defence of our comrades, and so far the results have been excellent!” Antifa International reported back, announcing that the first five defendants, out of 44 total to be tried, had all charges dropped against them minutes after their trial began. “This comes as no surprise to us,” Antifa International gloated. “Time & time & time again…[T]hey win in the courts and in the streets!”
Two weeks later, Antifa International announced in a “happy update” that all charges were dismissed in the trial of four more activists who were part of the so-called Stop the Bus standoff, thanks to the £2,250, or $3,000, the fund budgeted to their criminal defense. In March, Antifa International netted another win with an additional five defendants freed on all charges, “Three for Three!”
Antifa International also financially supports associates facing costly litigation in civil cases.
After investigative journalist Andy Ngo sued several members of Rose City Antifa for assaulting him on the streets of Portland in 2019, one of Ngo’s alleged attackers sought funding from Antifa International to fend off the lawsuit.
“She reached out to the International Anti-Fascist Defence Fund for support,” Antifa International said, “and how could we say no to contributing to a 0 in court for Andy’s score card?”
Antifa International sent Elizabeth “Bee” Richter $666 on GoFundMe, saying “We got your back, Bee!”
A jury ultimately found Richter not liable for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress following a chaotic trial, which was disrupted due to threats of violence, allegedly riddled with intimidation by individuals believed to be affiliated with antifa. The judge sealed the jurors’ identities over serious concerns about external efforts to identify them, and the defense’s attorney reportedly warned that she would “remember each one of their faces,” declaring before the jury, “I am antifa.”
“[A]t the end of the court proceedings, the board indeed read ANTIFA 1, ANDY 0,” cheered Antifa International.
In 2023, Antifa International meddled in criminal and civil cases involving the Texas-based Elm Fork branch of the John Brown Gun Club, which has ties to the federally charged Texas antifa cell. Self-styled as “community defense,” the now-defunct Elm Fork offshoot acted as armed security at transgender activism events around Northern Texas, such as “Transgender Storytime” and drag performances.
Three members of the Elm Fork chapter were arrested on assault charges during a violent altercation with Christian counterprotesters demonstrating outside a drag show. Antifa International was “one of the first groups to rush money to the arrestees,” with $4,150 sent on Spotfund, sharing the “good news” of one not-guilty verdict reached in their trial.
Then, when the Christian plaintiffs lodged a civil rights lawsuit against the Elm Fork chapter, Antifa International footed the bill as well to quash that “bulls***” effort.
Over the past decade, Antifa International’s defense fund has doled out over $250,000 to more than 800 antifascists from 26 different countries, according to a 10th anniversary post. This year’s funding cycle, Antifa International intervened nine times to assist 52 affiliates in Finland, France, Germany, Britain, and the U.S. Of those, 15 defendants escaped criminal punishment.
In addition to attorney fees, court fines, and bail money covered by the defense fund, which constitutes four-fifths of the organization’s spending costs, Antifa International pays for an array of expenses, ranging from “emergency relocations” to repairs for “arson-damaged property” to riot-related tactical gear.
A committee decides how funds are disbursed. When the decision-making body cannot reach a consensus, disputes are settled by a simple majority vote. According to Antifa International’s annual activity report, the collective is comprised of over 1,600 antifascist organizers on the funding committee.
Up until the Trump administration started cracking down on sponsors of terrorism-designated antifa activity, Antifa International crowdsourced funds through standing campaigns on Patreon, FundRazr, and the Action Network, a mobilization platform primarily financing left-wing causes.
“As a precaution,” Antifa International shut down its donation infrastructure “to protect our donors and recipients.”
The message mentioned relocating operations due to Trump’s edict, suggesting that the global group’s fundraising apparatus is based in the United States. All of the platforms through which Antifa International accepted donations are American fundraising sites.
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“We are presently exploring our options for re-establishing the Defence Fund’s infrastructure in a country not currently governed by fascists, and we hope to have good news about that shortly,” Antifa International said. “Please stay tuned.”
The Washington Examiner contacted Antifa International to comment on why it temporarily ceased fundraising.
As “perks” for contributing to the defense fund, donors earned antifascist-themed merchandise, such as T-shirts, hoodies, and flags featuring Antifa International’s insignia.
The organization’s online store sold “KILL FASCISTS” shirts and clothing specific to accredited antifa chapters, such as Central Oregon Anti-Fascist Action, the Atlanta Antifascists, and the John Brown Gun Club’s Elm Fork branch, which reveres a radical pre-Civil War abolitionist who raided a federal armory in a violent slave revolt.
Upon purchase of chapter-specific merch, all proceeds went directly to these groups. Text emblazoned on the apparel contained calls to political violence, including sayings such as “I Don’t Argue With People John Brown Would Have Shot,” “Racists Ain’t Safe in the Dirty South,” and “No Rest Until the Last Dictator Dies.”
