Anti-Israel Protestors in US Campuses Were Trained for Months, says Report

The controversial anti-Israel protests that emerged on university campuses across the United States were meticulously planned. The organisers underwent extensive training.  They were trained by pro-Palestinian activists and left-wing groups, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Key organisers of these demonstrations engaged in months-long training with prominent groups such as the National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP), drawing expertise from veterans of past campus protests and even former members of the Black Panthers, the report outlines. 

NSJP a pivotal player

Although there is no central coordinating body orchestrating these protests, the NSJP, it appears, was as a pivotal player, leveraging its highly active presence on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to disseminate updates and offer guidance to aspiring activists.

A post dated April 25, highlighted in The Wall Street Journal report, showcased cartoons shared by NSJP suggesting "non-violent" protest tactics, including throwing what appears to be smoke bombs and lifting garbage cans—a scene reminiscent of past activist occupations of university buildings.

Chapters of NSJP have been banned at many campuses 

Some chapters of Students for Justice for Palestine (SJP) have faced campus bans due to policy violations, particularly in the aftermath of conflicts such as the October 7 Hamas-Israel clash, with Columbia University in New York being a notable example.

The report sheds light on a "Resistance 101" training session initially scheduled at Columbia in partnership with the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, a Vancouver-based organization that reportedly praised the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

“There is nothing wrong with being a member of Hamas..”

During the virtual gathering, Samidoun coordinator Charlotte Kates, in footage cited by The Wall Street Journal, espoused controversial views, including stating, "There is nothing wrong with being a member of Hamas… These are the people that are on the front lines defending Palestine."

Sueda Polat, a protest organizer at Columbia University, revealed the detailed planning behind the anti-Israel demonstrations, noting that participants drew from previous experiences, including fundraising tactics learned from involvement in Black Lives Matter marches.

The revelations underscore the intricate networks and strategies underpinning the recent surge in anti-Israel activism on US campuses, and highlight the fact that the protests were not organic.