The Extremism Roundup

Islamist Extremism

UMASS Amherst Provost Mike Malone, top, meets with students who demanded the Chancellor end what they called, "UMass Amherst's ties with war profiteers and call for a ceasefire and end of the blockade on Gaza" on Oct. 25 - Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

UMass Student Assaults People at Israel Solidarity Event

• A University of Massachusetts student, Efe Ercelik, was arraigned on Monday for allegedly assaulting two students at a rally supporting Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

• Ercelik allegedly approached two students during the "Bring Them Home: Solidarity Walk and Installation," and used derogatory slurs and stereotypes against Jewish people, punched and kicked a victim, and destroyed a small Israeli flag.

• He faces charges including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, larceny from person, vandalize property, assault and battery to intimidate, and disorderly conduct.

• Ercelik was released on $250 bail, with orders to stay away from the victims and the UMass Amherst campus.  Read More

NYC Woman Attacks Jews While Shouting Allahu Akbar

• Melissa Ugur, from Brooklyn, allegedly tore down posters of Israeli hostages and pepper-sprayed a Jewish safety volunteer.

• Before the attack, Ugur reportedly said, "Allahu Akbar” and “I'll kill you, Jews," along with other antisemitic remarks.

• Ugur was arrested and charged with assault, menacing, and criminal possession of a weapon; however, she was released without bail pending her next court date.  Read More

Militant-Right & Militant-Left Extremism

Capitol Police take a protester away from the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee during a demonstration against the war between Israel and Hamas on November 15, 2023 - Alex Wong/Getty Images

House Offices Locked Down and Lawmakers Evacuated Due to Violent Gaza War Protest

• Lawmakers were evacuated from the Democratic National Committee headquarters and House office buildings locked down after law enforcement clashed with protesters pressing for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

• Capitol Police said six of its officers were injured in the clash with protestors and one person was arrested for assaulting an officer. Read More

Fistfights Outside Holocaust Museum

• Fistfights erupted outside a Holocaust museum in Los Angeles during a screening of "Bearing Witness," a compilation of footage from Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israelis.

• Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated against what they called a "Gal Gadot military propaganda video," leading to clashes with pro-Israel protesters.

• The far-left group J-Town Action and Solidarity was among those who shared the location of the screening ahead of time.

• The film, created by the Israel Defense Forces, aims to prove the occurrence of Hamas atrocities, but critics argue it is used to justify Israel's actions in Gaza. The screening involved prominent Jewish and Israeli industry figures. Gadot was not present.  Read More

Additional Oath Keepers Found Guilty of Jan. 6 Charges

• Six members and affiliates of the Oath Keepers have been found guilty for their actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach.
• Sandra Parker, Bennie Parker, Connie Meggs, Laura Steele, and William Isaacs were convicted of conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiring to prevent an officer from discharging duty, destruction of government property, and entering a restricted building.
• The verdict brings the total to 14 Oath Keepers members and affiliates convicted for felonies related to the Capitol attack.
• The defendants coordinated in advance, traveled to D.C., donned paramilitary gear, breached Capitol grounds, and entered the building in a military "stack" formation.  Read More

Navy SEAL Under Investigation for Affiliation With Proud Boys

• Navy SEAL Chief Bryce Henson is under investigation for allegedly violating military rules against participating in extremist activity.
• Henson, also known as "Ben Richards" in public appearances, has been a prominent figure at school protests against LGBT rights in Southern California.
• The Navy confirmed that Henson is an active-duty SEAL, and photos show him alongside alleged members of the Proud Boys.
• The investigation focuses on whether Henson participated in or supported extremist causes, with the Navy emphasizing that such involvement contradicts its core values. Read More

  Hate Crime

Chalk artist Elena Colombo creates a Star of David at a makeshift memorial at the site where 69-year-old Paul Kessler died of a head injury sustained from being hit by a pro-Palestinian protestor in Thousand Oaks, Calif., on Nov. 5 - Mario Tama/Getty Images

Suspect Named in Murder of LA Jewish Man

• Sixty-nine-year-old Jewish man, Paul Kessler, was fatally injured during a pro-Israel counter-protest in California.

• The main suspect, identified as Loay Alnaji, allegedly struck Kessler on the head with a megaphone, causing the fatal injury.

• Alnaji, a computer science teacher at Ventura Community College, has shared pro-Hamas content on social media. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities considering the possibility of a hate crime.  Read More

Florida Man Assaults Muslim Postal Worker

• Kenneth Jerome Pinkney, 47, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., allegedly made a shooting gesture, verbally abused, and physically attacked a Muslim U.S. Postal Service worker on October 24.

• Pinkney reportedly told the victim to "go back to her country," ripped off her hijab, and slapped and punched her while making derogatory comments.

• The victim suffered injuries, including bleeding from her mouth and scratches on her face. Pinkney attempted to grab her leg as she sought refuge in her postal truck.

• Pinkney faces charges of battery and a felony hate crime for evidencing prejudice based on the victim's ancestry, religion, and national origin. The court ordered a mental health screening for Pinkney.  Read More

Florida Man Charged With Threats to Jewish Organization

• Deep Alpesh Kumar Patel, 21, from Sarasota, Fla., was charged with transmitting an interstate threat against World Jewish Congress, an organization in New York City.

• Patel left a threatening voicemail identifying himself by name and screaming, among other expletives, “If I had a chance, I would kill every single one of you Israelis. Every single one of you! Cause mass genocide of every single Israeli.”

• Patel faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.  Read More

  School Threats

Pine Ridge Middle School in North Naples, Fla. - Leonel Lopez via Google screenshot

Middle Schooler Charged with Second-Degree Felony

• An 11-year-old student at Pine Ridge Middle School in North Naples, Fla., was arrested after she made threats to kill a student on the social media app TikTok.

• The student was charged with written threats to kill or do bodily injury or conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism, a second-degree felony.  Read More

Indiana Juvenile Arrested for Facebook Threats

• A juvenile in Connersville, Ind., was arrested for allegedly making threats against several schools on social media.

• Connersville Police Department received reports of threats on Facebook, prompting the Fayette County School Corporation to cancel or suspend multiple school activities for safety reasons.

• The police initially identified a woman as the suspect, but after a search warrant and further investigation, it was revealed that a 14-year-old male was responsible for the threats.

• The juvenile, linked to the misidentified woman's Facebook account, admitted to posting the threats. He faces preliminary charges of making a terroristic threat and obstruction of justice.  Read More

Texas Student Arrested

• A student at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, Texas, was arrested for making terroristic threats.

• The school’s principal informed parents of the threat and asked them to speak to their children about speaking to teachers and administrators when feeling threatened or submitting a tip on the school’s app.  Read More

Hostile Foreign Influence Operations

Pro-Palestine rally at Harvard University on October 14, 2023, in wake of the Hamas massacre of Israeli Jews on October 7 - Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Gety Images

Undisclosed Foreign Funding of Universities May Be Fueling Antisemitic Hatred on Campus

• Unreported foreign funding of U.S. universities by Qatar and other authoritarian governments is linked to higher levels of campus antisemitism and a decline in free-speech norms, according to a recent study by the Network Contagion Research Institute.

• The study, The Corruption of the American Mind – How concealed foreign funding of U.S. higher education predicts erosion of democratic values and antisemitic incidents on campus, is based on earlier research revealing the billions of dollars of previously undisclosed gifts to American universities from countries that are actively hostile to the U.S. and to freedom and democracy in general.

• The study found a strong correlation between the universities that received the most foreign funding and the universities where there was the most suppression of free speech and the highest  prevalence of antisemitism.  Read More

• The Clarion Project produced a ground-breaking film that exposes the billions of dollars of undisclosed funding from countries hostile to freedom and democracy.  WATCH NOW 

Microsoft Warns of Russian Middle East Disinformation

• Microsoft's vice chair and president Brad Smith accused Russia of spreading "disinformation" about the Israel-Hamas conflict.

• Smith spoke of the company's efforts in battling disinformation, especially using AI tools, at an international peace conference in Paris this week.

• Smith highlighted Microsoft’s success in identifying Russian campaigns, citing examples related to COVID-19 vaccines and ongoing Middle East disinformation.  Read More

Russian Hackers Affect Millions in Maine

• More than 1 million people with contact with Maine state agencies have been affected by a global cybersecurity incident.

• The breach, occurring on May 28-29, targeted the file transfer tool MOVEit, exposing data such as Social Security numbers and dates of birth.

• The incident impacted various state agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, and others.  Read More

Research and Trends in Extremism

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), NYC Mayor Eric Adams, ADL regional director Scott Richman attend Anti-Defamation League annual Walk Against Hate in New York on August 20 - Lev Radin/VIEWpress

NYPD Reports 124 Percent Rise in Hate Crimes

• According to NYPD data, in October, New York City experienced a 3 percent decrease in overall crime, but hate crimes surged by 124 percent, driven by a significant increase in anti-Jewish incidents.

• The city recorded 101 hate crimes, with 69 of them being anti-Jewish, compared to 45 incidents in the same period last year.

• There were eight anti-Muslim incidents, up from zero in October 2022, and seven incidents classified as "anti-ethnic," including at least four anti-Palestinian incidents. Read More

News Outlets Under Fire for October 7 Involvement

• An investigation by the media watchdog group HonestReporting raised questions about whether Palestinian photojournalists had advance knowledge of the October 7 Hamas assault on southern Israel.

• HonestReporting suggested that freelance photographers, whose work was used by major news organizations such as CNN, The New York Times, The Associated Press, and Reuters, might have known about the attack.

• The news organizations issued statements denying any prior knowledge of the attack and severed ties with photographers involved in the controversy.

• Israeli government Minister Benny Gantz warned that if the photojournalists had known about the attack and chose to stand by, they "are no different than terrorists and should be treated as such."

• The controversy sparked concerns about the impact on journalists in conflict zones and led to accusations and warnings from the Israeli government and politicians.  Read More

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QUOTABLE 

“When a large number of organs of the press come to advance along the same track, their influence becomes almost irresistible in the long term, and public opinion, struck always from the same side, ends by yielding under their blows.”

- Alexis de Tocqueville

NOTE TO OUR READERS: We have pulled out the salient points of the articles in this newsletter to keep you informed and focused on the most relevant, important and timely news in national security and extremism. While our national security experts stand behind the summary bullets and deem them trustworthy, Clarion Project does not endorse all the views expressed in the articles linked.