From Clarion Project <[email protected]>
Subject Chicago Professor Arrested With Firearms Outside ICE Facility
Date October 17, 2025 1:20 PM
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The University of Illinois Professor has a history of social media posts glorifying violence against law enforcement

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The Extremism Roundup
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*Focused on Evidence Instead of Narratives*
A weekly compilation of the most important developments in the struggle against radical ideologies

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A Word From the CEO
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Dear Reader,

Over the past few weeks, the United States has grappled with a surge in violent extremism and foreign influence operations, reflecting deep domestic tensions and external manipulation. Incidents range from a Chicago rioter with suspected Antifa ties to a Las Vegas juvenile charged with terroristic threats against three schools. Additionally, hate crimes against Jews have spiked. These events underscore the persistent threat of ideologically driven violence, from anarchists to white supremacists, amid heightened community fears.

Compounding these domestic challenges, foreign actors have seized on high-profile incidents to amplify division. Following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Russia, China, and pro-Iranian networks flooded social media with disinformation, framing the event as evidence of U.S. collapse or civil war, leveraging platforms like X to reach millions. These operations highlight the urgent need for vigilance against both homegrown extremism and foreign efforts to exploit America’s fractures.

Sincerely,

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A Word From the CEO
-------------------

Dear Reader,

Over the past few weeks, the United States has grappled with a surge in violent extremism and foreign influence operations, reflecting deep domestic tensions and external manipulation. Incidents range from a Chicago rioter with suspected Antifa ties to a Las Vegas juvenile charged with terroristic threats against three schools. Additionally, hate crimes against Jews have spiked. These events underscore the persistent threat of ideologically driven violence, from anarchists to white supremacists, amid heightened community fears.

Compounding these domestic challenges, foreign actors have seized on high-profile incidents to amplify division. Following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Russia, China, and pro-Iranian networks flooded social media with disinformation, framing the event as evidence of U.S. collapse or civil war, leveraging platforms like X to reach millions. These operations highlight the urgent need for vigilance against both homegrown extremism and foreign efforts to exploit America’s fractures.

Sincerely,

RIchard Green

CEO, Co-Founder

Clarionproject.org

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Militant-Right and Militant-Left Extremism
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Protesters clash with federal agents in the East Side neighborhood of Chicago on October 14, 2025, during ( [link removed] 202510-16&utm_medium=email )

Protesters clash with federal agents in the East Side neighborhood of Chicago on October 14, 2025, during "Operation Midway Blitz" - Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images

*Chicago Professor Arrested With Firearms Outside ICE Facility
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Elias Cepeda, a journalist and University of Illinois college professor with suspected Antifa ties, was arrested on September 26, 2025, outside the ICE Broadview facility in Chicago for his role as a violent rioter during protests.

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ATF authorities seized a loaded firearm and four magazines of ammunition from Cepeda as part of Operation Midway Blitz, targeting violent extremism.

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Cepeda has a documented history of social media posts glorifying violence against federal law enforcement, including labeling ICE agents as "Nazis" and advocating for their killing, aligning with Antifa's anti-government rhetoric. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-16&utm_medium=email )*

*Neo-Nazi Assaults Jewish Man in Montana
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On October 7, 2025, outside the Poverello Center homeless shelter in Missoula, Mont., Michael Cain, 29, allegedly assaulted a Jewish man after spotting his Star of David tattoo. Cain expressed his beliefs, then kicked the victim in the head and punched him multiple times, with the victim not retaliating, before fleeing the scene. He was quickly located via video surveillance and arrested shortly after.

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During transport to jail, Cain admitted to officers his adherence to Nazi ideology, indicating a clearly bias-motivated attack.

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Cain faces felony charges of Malicious Intimidation or Harassment Relating to Civil or Human Rights, classified as a hate crime. He is detained at Missoula County Detention Facility on $50,000 bond. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-16&utm_medium=email )*

*Justice Department Sues Anti-Israel Protesters Using a Law Protecting Abortion Clinics
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Federal officials have sued pro-Palestinian demonstrators involved in a heated protest outside a New Jersey synagogue last year, citing a law created to protect abortion clinics from obstruction and threats.

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“No American should be harassed, targeted, or discriminated against for peacefully practicing their religion,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement.

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The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act was passed during a time of frequent abortion clinic protests and violence against abortion providers. It specifically prohibits the use of force and physical obstruction to interfere with people at both reproductive health centers or houses of worship. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-16&utm_medium=email )*

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Islamist Extremism
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Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23 - via Kaab TV screenshot ( [link removed] 202510-16&utm_medium=email )

Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23 - via Kaab TV screenshot

*ISIS Supporter Pleads Guilty to Material Support of Terrorism
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* ​Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, a 23-year-old Somali national living in Minnesota, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis to one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Sentencing is pending, with Hassan remaining detained.
* Hassan extensively posted ISIS propaganda on social media, praised global and U.S. attacks, including the January 1, 2025, New Orleans incident that killed 14, engaged in direct messages with ISIS recruiters about joining the "battlefield," and downloaded materials on sniper training and explosives manufacturing.
* In December 2024, Hassan twice tried to travel one-way from Minnesota to Somalia via Ethiopia to fight for ISIS, carrying documents like his birth and naturalization certificates. U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Chicago thwarted the second attempt.
* Prompted by an FBI tip on his online activity, authorities seized cellphones, a folding knife, and a homemade ISIS flag from Hassan in February 2025. During an FBI interview, he admitted to supporting ISIS and aspiring to establish an Islamic caliphate. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-16&utm_medium=email )*

*Man Threatens Miami Church Yelling ‘Allahu Akbar’*
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Isaac Lopez, 27, disrupted a Sunday service at St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in Miami by claiming his backpack contained a bomb, yelling "Allahu Akbar" as he exited, and playing a ticking sound from his phone to mimic a detonating device.

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Lopez handed over the backpack, which was found to be empty except for his phone. Churchgoers evacuated safely, and Miami-Dade Police immediately detained him without incident.

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Lopez faces charges of making a false report about placing a bomb or explosive and disturbing a religious assembly; no prior criminal history or explicit ties to extremism were detailed in reports. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-16&utm_medium=email )*

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Hate Crime
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Light pole in West Seattle, where a Jewish man was violently assaulted after removing a pro-Gaza sign last week - via King5 News screenshot ( [link removed] 202510-16&utm_medium=email )

Light pole in West Seattle, where a Jewish man was violently assaulted after removing a pro-Gaza sign last week - via King5 News screenshot

*Man Arrested for Alleged Hate Crime Against Jewish Man in Seattle
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A 71-year-old Jewish man was assaulted on October 13, 2025, in West Seattle after removing a pro-Gaza sign from a light pole. The suspect, a man in his 30s, yelled "Zionist pig," headbutted him, knocked him down, and continued punching despite the victim's use of pepper spray until bystanders intervened, leaving the victim, a local Jewish resident, injured.

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The suspect was arrested and is being held in King County Jail, with the case awaiting review by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

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Seattle police are probing the assault as a potential hate crime. It is currently charged as malicious harassment under Seattle Municipal Code for perceived political ideology, though classification could shift to bias against religion with further evidence. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-16&utm_medium=email )*

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School Threats
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Ralston Valley High School, Arvada, Colo. - via CBS News screenshot ( [link removed] 202510-16&utm_medium=email )

Ralston Valley High School, Arvada, Colo. - via CBS News screenshot

*Student Arrested for Alleged Threats Against Denver High School
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On September 11, 2025, a Snapchat post threatened Ralston Valley High School in Arvada, Colo., hours after a shooting at nearby Evergreen High School. The post included a photo from a French video showing a rifle, ammunition, and a magazine, captioned "be ready rv" with a purple demon emoji, prompting hundreds of Safe2Tell reports and causing about 1,100 students to stay home.

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The arrested student’s search history included Columbine massacre queries and school threat consequences. Snapchat evidence led to their identification.

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The student faces a misdemeanor charge for interfering with educational institutions; no explicit extremist ties were reported. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-16&utm_medium=email )*

*Juvenile Arrested Amid Social Media Threats Involving Three Las Vegas Schools
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A juvenile posted unsubstantiated social media threats targeting three Clark County schools—Saville Middle School, Cram Middle School, and Shadow Ridge High School—in Las Vegas. The threats were classified as terroristic, prompting increased police presence but allowing classes to proceed normally.

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An unidentified juvenile was arrested and booked on charges of making terroristic threats, underscoring the serious legal repercussions for such actions. This follows a similar recent juvenile arrest for a threat at Del Sol Academy in the same district. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-16&utm_medium=email )*

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Foreign Influence Operations
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People wear t-shirts reading ( [link removed] 202510-16&utm_medium=email )

People wear t-shirts reading "We are Charlie" as they pay their respects during a candlelight vigil for right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at a makeshift memorial at Memorial Park in Provo, Utah, on September 12, 2025 - Melissa Majchrzak / AFP via Getty Images

*Disinformation Spinning Charlie Kirk Assassination to Widen US Divisions
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Following the September 10, 2025 killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, foreign actors from Russia, China, and pro-Iranian networks swiftly amplified disinformation on social media, framing the event as evidence of U.S. civil war and societal collapse, to exacerbate domestic divisions and undermine confidence in American institutions.

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Russian ultranationalist Alexander Dugin ("Putin's brain") tweeted that Kirk's death heralded civil war, while pro-Russian bots and state media blamed Democrats or conspiratorial forces. Chinese operations highlighted U.S. gun violence and extremism, and pro-Iranian groups pushed antisemitic theories implicating Israel, which echoed in U.S. white supremacist circles.

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Adversaries used fake accounts, bots, and recycled U.S. domestic conspiracies—Russia tying it to Ukraine aid backlash, China emphasizing polarization, and Iran alleging foreign setups—without generating original content, aiming to incite extremism and erode trust while reaching millions of views on platforms like X.

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The campaigns, though marginal in volume, risk fueling real-world violence and hindering national unity. The U.S. State Department has dismantled key counter-disinformation units. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-16&utm_medium=email )*

QUOTABLE
“By re-educating his sympathies away from the traditional and the familial, the habitual and the customary, the revolutionary citizen 'liberated' himself from the very circumstances in which most ordinary citizens enjoyed their liberty.”

-- Edmund Burke

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.

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