Outside agitator

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Outside agitator is a term that has been used to discount political unrest as being driven by outsiders, rather than by internal discontent. The term was popularized during the early stages of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, when Southern authorities discounted African-American protests as being driven by Northern white radicals, rather than being legitimate expressions of grievances. [1] [2]

The term gained further prominence during the George Floyd protests, with local officials in Minneapolis claiming that most protesters were not from the city, despite jail records and social media indicating otherwise. [3] The term was also used during the Ferguson unrest in 2014. [4]

The term saw wide use by public figures and media coverage during the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses. The term was used to dismiss student protests by claiming that they'd been coopted by foreign actors rather than acting organically. [5] After clearing out the 2024 Columbia University pro-Palestinian campus occupation, New York police deputy commissioner Tarik Sheppard claimed that the chains of bike locks sold by Columbia University were "not what students bring to school" to support the claim that outside agitators were responsible for students locking themselves in Hind's Hall. [6]


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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Columbia University pro-Palestinian campus occupation</span> 2024 occupation protest at Columbia University, New York City

A series of occupation protests by pro-Palestinian students occurred at Columbia University in New York City in April 2024, in the context of the broader Israel–Hamas war related protests in the United States. The protests began on April 17, 2024, when pro-Palestinian students established an encampment of approximately 50 tents, calling it the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, on the university's campus, demanding the university divest from Israel. The encampment was forcibly dismantled the next day when university president Minouche Shafik authorized the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to enter the campus and conduct mass arrests. A new encampment was built the next day. When negotiations on divestment failed, protesters broke into and occupied Hamilton Hall, leading to a second NYPD raid, the arrest of more than 100 protesters, and the dismantling of the camp. The arrests marked the first time Columbia allowed police to suppress campus protests since the 1968 demonstrations against the Vietnam War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses</span>

Pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses escalated on April 17, 2024, spreading to other universities in the United States and other countries, as a part of wider Israel–Hamas war protests. The escalation began after mass arrests at the Columbia University campus occupation, led by anti-Zionist groups, in which protesters demanded the university's disinvestment from Israel over its alleged genocide of Palestinians. As of May 3, over 2,300 protesters have been arrested, including faculty members and professors, on more than 40 U.S. campuses. The different protests' varying demands include severing financial ties with Israel and its affiliated entities, transparency over financial ties, and amnesty for protesters. In response, universities have suspended students, with some also expelled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 University of California, Los Angeles pro-Palestinian campus occupation</span> 2024 occupation protest in Los Angeles, California

On April 25, 2024, an occupation protest began at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to protest the administration's investments in Israel. The occupation, self-titled as the 'Palestine Solidarity Encampment', was a part of pro-Palestine protests on university campuses campaigning for divestment from Israel. The encampment was attacked multiple times by counter protestors, leading to clashes. On May 2, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) raided and dismantled the encampment, arresting the protestors and ending the occupation.

References

  1. Cindy Milstein (October 21, 2015). Taking Sides: Revolutionary Solidarity and the Poverty of Liberalism. AK Press. pp. 113–. ISBN   978-1-84935-232-1.
  2. Leslie Vincent Tischauser (1998). Black/white Relations in American History: An Annotated Bibliography. Scarecrow Press. pp. 93–. ISBN   978-0-8108-3389-0.
  3. Brett Murphy; Josh Salman; Dak Le (May 31, 2020). "Officials blame 'out-of-state' agitators but those at the heart of protests are homegrown". USA Today. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  4. "Unmasking The 'Outside Agitator'". NPR. June 10, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  5. Jake Offenhartz (May 1, 2024). "A retired teacher saw inspiration in Columbia's protests. Eric Adams called her an outside agitator". Associated Press . Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  6. Zachary Leeman (May 1, 2024). "NY Police Deputy Commissioner Brings Chains Used By Columbia 'Agitators' Into Morning Joe Studio, Claims It's 'Not What Students Bring to School'". Mediaite . Retrieved May 2, 2024.