Left-wing political violence

Extracted Attributes

• Definition

  Form of political violence motivated by far-left ideologies

• Primary Goal

  Overthrow current capitalist systems and replace them with communist, Marxist, anarchist, or socialist societies

• Historical Presence

  Occurred throughout American history

• Associated Ideologies

  Communism, Marxism, Anarchism, Socialism, Black nationalism, Anti-police sentiment, Animal rights, Environmentalism, Anti-white ideologies, Anti-imperialism

• Typical Targets (recent)

  Specific individuals, law enforcement (police officers)

• Recent Trend (since 2016)

  Increased significantly

• Comparison to Right-wing Violence

  Lower incidence of deadly political violence compared to right-wing extremists

• Fatalities by Left-wing terrorists (US, unspecified period)

  65 people (approximately 2% of total politically motivated murders)

• Fatalities of police officers from left-wing attacks (past decade)

  10 out of 13 victim fatalities

• Percentage of Left-wing Extremists who are Violence-oriented (Germany)

  More than one in four

Timeline

• Political violence in the United States reached levels comparable to or higher than current levels. (Source: Wikipedia, User Summary)

  1970s

• Incidents of political violence, including left-wing violence, began to increase significantly, particularly coinciding with Donald Trump’s rise to political prominence. (Source: Wikipedia, User Summary, Web Search Results)

  2016

• Yoav Fromer's Washington Post article, 'Why the American Left Gave Up on Political Violence,' discusses the historical ineffectiveness and backfiring of leftist political violence. (Source: Web Search Results)

  2017

Political violence in the United States

In the history of the United States, political violence is violence which is perpetrated in order to achieve political goals by the state or a non-state actor. Political violence has occurred throughout American history – from the assassinations of four presidents to civil unrest and terrorist attacks. Experts report that incidents have increased significantly since 2016, reaching levels not seen since the 1970s. Recent data indicates that the highest incidence of deadly political violence in the United States comes from right-wing extremists, with left-wing extremists and Islamist terrorists also committing notable proportions. Contributing factors toward political violence include dehumanizing political rhetoric and partisan division, authoritarian personality traits, hostile sexist beliefs, online radicalization, and a sense of threat or increased fear.

Web Search Results

• Left-wing terrorism - Wikipedia

  Left-wing terrorism is a form of terrorist political violence motivated by far-left ideologies, committed with the aim of overthrowing current capitalist systems and replacing them with communist, Marxist, anarchist or socialist societies. Left-wing terrorism can also occur within already socialist states as criminal action against the current ruling government.

• Left-Wing Terrorism and Political Violence in the United States - CSIS

  Our analysis of terrorism trends in the United States shows that, indeed, left-wing violence has risen in the last 10 years, particularly since President Donald Trump’s rise to political prominence in 2016, although it has risen from very low levels and remains much lower than historical levels of violence carried out by right-wing and jihadist attackers. More contentious politics in the United States and the expansion of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement appear to have reenergized [...] Together, partisan and anti-government extremism help explain why 2025 has seen an escalation of left-wing violence, as opposition to the Trump administration fuels attacks against both its political leadership and the state institutions that carry out its agenda. [...] Second, left-wing violence is often narrowly directed at specific individuals rather than indiscriminate killings of civilians. Most notably, 10 of the 13 victim fatalities from left-wing attacks in the past decade have been police officers ambushed in public areas by attackers using firearms. This pattern underscores that even the deadliest left-wing attacks have tended to focus on targeted confrontations with law enforcement rather than mass-casualty events.

• Far Left and Political Violence: Overview | Research Starters - EBSCO

  The text highlights a nuanced debate within leftist circles regarding the legitimacy and effectiveness of political violence, with some arguing it is a necessary response to fascism, while others contend it undermines the core values of civil liberties and could exacerbate societal tensions. As tensions have escalated, particularly around events such as the Charlottesville rally and the Black Lives Matter protests, the discussion around far-left political violence continues to be a contentious [...] "Far Left and Political Violence: Overview" explores the rise of political activism from the far left in the United States, particularly in response to the election of Donald Trump in 2016. The document details the historical context of leftist activism, noting a significant decline in far-left political violence in recent decades, contrasting with earlier movements that included violent resistance, such as labor strikes and confrontations with fascists. [...] In a 2017 Washington Post article, "Why the American Left Gave Up on Political Violence," Yoav Fromer explains that in the late twentieth century, not only had leftist political violence failed to produce results, but it had backfired terribly, reducing support for the Left rather than building it. Fromer also argues that nonviolent methods galvanized much more support and that the people who joined the Left tended to be marginalized themselves and therefore had experienced violence and

• Left-wing extremism - Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz

  The left-wing extremist scene is characterised by its heterogeneity, which is apparent in the differing ideologies, degrees of organisation, preferred forms of action and in the attitude to whether violence is a legitimate means to achieve political aims. More than one in four of all left-wing extremists can be classed as violence-oriented. This mainly includes autonomists, anarchists and, at present, a small part of the strictly ideological spectrum. [...] Violence-oriented strictly ideological left-wing extremists also include anti-imperialists. They believe that the “capitalist” countries strive to open up new markets using “imperialist” policies and also using force, all with the aim of maximising profits. Anti-imperialists view violence as a necessary element in the fight against “capitalism” and “imperialism”. [...] Left-wing extremists believe that overcoming “capitalism”, which they regard as necessary, is not possible through political reforms, but can only be achieved by overthrowing the existing state and social order. Left-wing extremists are in principle also willing to use violence to reach this goal. Left-wing extremist structures

• Politically Motivated Violence Is Rare in the United States

  Left-wing terrorists murdered 65 people, or about 2 percent of the total. Left-wing terrorists include those motivated by black nationalism, anti-police sentiment, communism, socialism, animal rights, environmentalism, anti-white ideologies, and other left-wing ideologies. Those murders that are politically motivated by unknown or other ideologies are a vanishingly small percentage, which is unsurprising because terrorists typically want attention for their causes.