Antifa activists are conducting a three-day training conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, despite claims by Democrats that Antifa is not an organization. The event, known as the Philly Skillshare Convergence, took place from October 3-5 at a secret location. Advertised within Antifa circles, the convergence featured workshops on street-level tactics, digital anonymity, and operational coordination. One session, titled “Don’t turn yourself in. Be fugitive,” focused on resisting state coercion and avoiding arrest. Other workshops included lessons on radio communications, encrypted online organizing, and “cyberpunk invisibility.” Promotional graphics displayed symbols associated with “Black Bloc” militants, such as hammers, balaclavas, and walkie-talkies. Organizers described the event as designed to “strengthen collective capacities” for “organizing [and] attacking,” requiring attendees to request access via the encrypted email service Proton Mail. The flyer was first posted on the Philly Anti-Capitalist blog, a site that regularly publishes announcements from left-wing activists. The blog, which refers to Philadelphia as “occupied Lenapehoking,” includes materials targeting Antifa and anarchist groups, such as maps of Philadelphia Police Department stations and posters declaring, “The time to attack is always now.” This year’s event occurred amid heightened scrutiny of Antifa activities, including a self-described Antifa sharpshooter charged with making assassination threats against President Donald J. Trump and links between Antifa-aligned demonstrators and ammunition used in the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. In response, President Trump designated Antifa as a “major domestic terrorist organization” in mid-September, citing its decentralized yet coordinated actions as a threat to national security. The order directed federal agencies to dismantle Antifa-affiliated operations and scrutinize individuals supporting the movement.
Antifa Hosts Secret Training Conference in Philadelphia Amid Domestic Terror Designation
