NP View: When progressives become indistinguishable from Islamists
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Although Rodriguez was clean cut and not trying to hide his identity, he was seen waving a keffiyeh and began the now familiar chant of 'free, free Palestine' as he was being led away by police. A manifesto posted online after the shooting, purportedly written by Rodriguez, reiterates many of the usual talking points against Israel, but laments that, 'Thus far the rhetoric has not amounted to much.' Rodriguez then attempts to justify 'the morality of armed demonstration,' and claims others will understand that what he did was 'the only sane thing to do.' The social media post was accompanied by a call to 'Escalate For Gaza' and 'Bring The War Home.'
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Notably, Rodriguez does not appear to be a radicalized Muslim or a recent immigrant from a Middle Eastern country with high rates of antisemitism. He more closely resembles your run-of-the-mill social justice warrior: the type of person who worked as an 'oral history researcher' on African-American communities at an educational non-profit; attended Black Lives Matter protests and other anti-capitalist demonstrations; gave an interview to a socialist magazine lamenting how Amazon was responsible for the 'whitening of Seattle'; and had past ties with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, an anti-Israel communist group.
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According to his manifesto, Rodriguez wasn't even aware of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict until 2014. In the same fashion as the kids who were radicalized in mosques after 9/11 and went on to fight with the Taliban and ISIS, Rodriguez appears to have transformed from a fairly typical American lefty into a cold-blooded killer in just over a decade. In too many cases, the progressives have become indistinguishable from the Islamists.
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While we don't know how Rodriguez — who has a BA in English from the University of Illinois Chicago — was radicalized, those who have been paying attention to the antisemitism and anti-Israel bias that has come to dominate universities, the media and left-wing narratives should not be surprised that it eventually led to blood being spilled in the streets of a western capital.
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At the encampment set up at the University of Toronto last spring, for example, signs reading Revolution Until Victory, Glory to All Martyrs, This is the Intfada (sic) and Globalize Resistance were commonplace. Based on the clueless statements made by some students during last year's encampment craze, it's clear that at least some of them did not fully appreciate the meaning of these phrases, or the history of the Middle East conflict. Those people now need to take a hard look in the mirror, because the deaths of Sarah Milgrim, 26, and Yaron Lischinsky, 30, is the fruit of their labour.
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Confrontation with authorities Relatives and advocates headed to the farm about 50 miles (80 kilometres) northwest of downtown Los Angeles to try to find out what was going on, and began protesting outside. Federal authorities formed a line blocking the road leading through farm fields to the company's greenhouses. Protesters were seen shouting at agents wearing camouflage gear, helmets and gas masks. The billowing smoke drove protesters to retreat. It wasn't clear why authorities threw the canisters or if they released chemicals such as tear gas. Ventura County fire authorities responding to a 911 call of people having trouble breathing said three people were taken to nearby hospitals. At the farm, agents arrested workers and removed them by bus. Others, including U.S. citizens, were detained at the site for hours while agents investigated. The incident came as federal immigration agents have ramped up arrests in Southern California at car washes, farms and Home Depot parking lots, stoking widespread fear among immigrant communities. Federal investigations The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Friday that the investigation into immigration and potential child labor violations at the farm is ongoing. No further details of the allegations were provided. The agency said hundreds of demonstrators attempted to disrupt the operations, leading to the arrest of four Americans. 'We will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who assaults or doxes federal law enforcement,' Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection were both part of the operation, the statement said. Family members search for answers The mother of an American worker said her son was held at the worksite for 11 hours and told her agents took workers' cellphones to prevent them from calling family or filming and forced them to erase cellphone video of agents at the site. The woman said her son told her agents marked the men's hands with ink to distinguish their immigration status. She spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because she feared reprisals from the government. United Farm Workers said in statement that some U.S. citizens are not yet accounted for. Maria Servin, 68, said her son has worked at the farm for 18 years and was helping to build a greenhouse. She said she spoke to her son, who is undocumented, after hearing of the raid and offered to pick him up. 'He said not to come because they were surrounded and there was even a helicopter. That was the last time I spoke to him,' Servin, a U.S. citizen, said in Spanish. She said she went to the farm anyway but federal agents were shooting tear gas and rubber bullets and she decided it was not safe to stay. She and her daughter returned to the farm Friday and were told her son had been arrested Thursday. They still don't know where he is being held. 'I regret 1,000 times that I didn't help him get his documents,' Servin said. By Amy Taxin, Damian Dovarganes And Olga R. Rodriguez. Taxin reported from Orange County, California, and Rodriguez reported from San Francisco.
