Worse than Antifa: Inside the new breed of ultra-extremist groups dedicated to chaos, violence — and even alleged murder
On August 19, in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood, a group of masked demonstrators linked to the loosely organized Antifa movement was met with strong resistance from local residents. The group’s presence, coinciding with the 34th anniversary of the Crown Heights riots, prompted chants of “F–k Antifa!” as community members confronted the activists and told them to leave. Video from the scene shows the activists withdrawing from the area after the confrontation.
Once a prominent force in left-wing protest movements, Antifa has seen a notable decline in public visibility and cohesion since its peak during the racial justice protests of 2020. Experts who study extremist movements suggest that this decline has created space for more radicalized and violent fringe groups to emerge, many of which retain ideological roots in anti-fascism and Marxism but operate outside of Antifa’s traditional structure.
One such case involved Benjamin Song, an alleged member of the Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club and Socialist Rifle Association, who led an armed group in an attack on an ICE detention facility in Alvarado, Texas, in July. Authorities reported that the group, which included several individuals living in a commune, injured one officer in the ambush. Song had previously been arrested during protests in 2020 and later began organizing around LGBTQ+ and anti-capitalist causes.
Another case that drew national attention was the February arrest of Jack “Ziz” Lasota, described as the leader of an extremist cult accused of a cross-state killing spree resulting in six deaths. The group allegedly promoted radical anarchist and anti-authoritarian ideologies, and investigators have characterized their rhetoric as seditionist in nature.
This is what it looks like when the blck and the jew community work together to stand against antifa who want to spark up a riot
They got kicked out pic.twitter.com/zgGf2anlil
— proud jew ✡️ (@PhuckYourVax) August 20, 2025
“These groups describe themselves as insurgents,” said Ryan Mauro, a researcher with the Capital Research Center who tracks extremist activity. “They see civil unrest as a means to usher in a new social order.”
Mauro and others argue that the most dangerous elements of these movements often arise not from new recruits, but from longtime participants who serve as ideological mentors. These individuals operate anonymously online or under the protection of nonprofits and may guide vulnerable followers toward violent actions without issuing direct commands.
Former Antifa member Gabriel Nadales, now affiliated with a conservative advocacy group, agrees. “You don’t have to worry about the average college kid protesting,” he said. “It’s the veterans of these movements — those who’ve been around for years — who know how to push the limits without getting caught.”
Some researchers have noted an increasing number of transgender individuals among members of radical factions. While not inherently tied to extremism, Nadales argues that some movements may intentionally seek to recruit marginalized individuals, viewing them as potential allies in broader revolutionary goals.
The October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent conflict in Gaza also provided an opportunity for some U.S.-based radical groups to coalesce around pro-Palestinian messaging. However, experts suggest that these expressions of solidarity often serve broader anti-establishment aims, with the United States itself remaining a primary target.
In one high-profile incident, Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old U.S. Air Force member and activist associated with socialist and anarchist groups, died by self-immolation outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., in protest of U.S. support for Israel. His act was widely praised by some activists and led to a wave of tributes across online leftist communities.
The following year, Elias Rodriguez, 31, was arrested for the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers in D.C. while shouting pro-Palestinian slogans. Though he was reportedly affiliated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), the group publicly denied any connection to the suspect.
After the July 2024 attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, socialist groups including PSL released statements broadly condemning political violence while warning that rising instability could provoke more such incidents.
Mauro says some factions are already pivoting away from Middle East-related messaging and returning to long-standing domestic themes. “They’re strategizing beyond Israel and Gaza,” he said. “The anti-police, anti-racism narrative remains their core.”
Law enforcement agencies, he notes, are struggling to keep up. “They’re often forced to focus only on the most immediate threats. Meanwhile, there are countless actors with the intent and means to carry out violence.”
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