Latest news with #UnityofFields
New York Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
I'm a proud American who wanted to stay on the frontlines in Ukraine rather than come home to Columbia University
United States Air Force drone pilot Sam Nahins just returned to NYC after three weeks volunteering on the frontlines in Ukraine. Nahins, 32, — a Jewish graduate student in fine arts at Columbia University was among those trapped inside Butler Library in May when it was taken over by anti-Israel protesters — tells The Post's Doree Lewak about his anxious homecoming. I'm a proud American patriot — I love this country to death. That's why I enlisted in the US Air Force for six years as soon as I graduated high school in North Carolina. I spent three weeks this summer volunteering on the frontlines in Ukraine with the relief group Help is on the WayUA, providing supplies to the frontlines. Advertisement We survived getting shelled, being attacked by drones and skirted artery fire 24/7. 4 US Air Force veteran Sam Nahins just returned from three weeks of volunteering in Ukraine. Courtesy of Sam Nahins But when it was over, my feeling was, 'I don't want to come home.' Advertisement Just look at my school's recent history. Last month, the notorious group Unity of Fields — the same group which took over Columbia's Butler Library — posted on X an image of mass veterans coffins draped in American flags accompanied by a heart emoji and caption reading, 'soon inshallah.' It means 'G-d willing.' That's who I'm going to school with. Of course I'm not going to feel welcome. Veterans aren't looking for a thank you. We just don't want to be called baby killers anymore. We don't want to be threatened and disrespected like this. Advertisement 4 Nahins says he was trapped inside Butler Hall when a mob of anti-Israel protesters invaded. REUTERS My friend, fellow veteran and Columbia classmate, Brandon Christie, stopped attending classes in the weeks following Oct. 7, 2023 – and ultimately took his own life. So when Columbia sits by as Veterans Day is hijacked for Martyrs Day and laud groups like Unity of Fields, you start to get the picture. My motivation for going to Ukraine was simple: I've flown drones for the US Air Force, flying a plane remotely somewhere in the Middle East fighting ISIS and al Qaeda. Advertisement 4 Nahins, a Columbia student, said he felt more at ease in Ukraine than New York. Courtesy of Sam Nahins I served overseas in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. But I'd never actually been to a warzone. I needed that perspective. I was getting shelled and attacked by drones while embedded with Ukraine's 25th battalion. But I was in good hands. No one was trying to stab me in the back — at least I knew what the enemy was. Turns out, I felt more at ease in Ukraine than I do in New York. As a grad student at Columbia, where 20-year-olds who have never seen a war in their lives call me 'baby killer,' 'murderer' and 'colonizer,' I feel like my own school and city don't have my back. In Ukraine, people proudly wave American flags. By contrast, at Columbia, we had Martyrs Day on Veterans Day. It's crazy. Advertisement Here in New York, it feels like everyone hates each other. In Ukraine you have a full spectrum of individuals and yet somehow they're all united. We need a lot more of that. In America, we have this feeling of 'Oppression Olympics,' but the Ukrainians in no way want to be pitied. Sure, the people want and need support, but they're not playing the victim game. 4 Nahins alleges he was called a 'baby killer' by fellow students. Courtesy of Sam Nahins Advertisement My experience felt sobering: Ukrainians love America more than Americans. They joke, 'Where is your Iraqi scarf?' They know how ridiculous Columbia is. I'm not giving up on my school or city – and definitely not my country. But I feel very unwanted here. Before I left Ukraine, I put my resume out there, and was offered three jobs for non-military positions. I'm still deciding whether to go back.
Memri
5 days ago
- Politics
- Memri
As UK Bans 'Palestine Action' For Terrorism, Group's U.S. Branch, Called 'Unity Of Fields', Continues Posting In Support Of Terrorism On Its X Account
Unity of Fields, initially called Palestine Action U.S., is an extremist anti-U.S. and anti-Israel organization that was formed as a branch of the UK-based Palestine Action in February 2023.[1] It changed its name in 2024 to Unity of Fields, to express its emphasis on establishing solidarity between various "anti-imperialist" causes across the globe. It calls itself "militant front against the US-NATO-Zionist axis of imperialism."[2] On its X account, the organization regularly praises and glorifies Iran-backed terrorist groups, including Lebanese Hizbullah, Yemen's Ansar Allah Movement (the Houthis), as well as Hamas and other Palestinian jihadi factions. It regularly refers to slain terrorist leaders as "martyrs", including Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and Iran's slain IRGC Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani. The frequently and openly calls for anti-police and anti-ICE violence. It also lionizes Elias Rodriguez, who in May 2025 carried out a shooting attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., where the American Jewish Committee was holding an event for young professionals, killing two Israeli Embassy employees. Unity of Fields' sister group, Palestine Action, has been recently proscribed as a terrorist organization in the UK, which makes supporting it a criminal offense.[3] The following report offers a selection of recent pro-terror posts from Unity of Fields' X account, organized into the following categories: Glorifying Washington DC Shooter Elias Rodriguez Calls For Violence Against The Police, ICE, And The U.S. Praising October 7, 2023 Attacks, Calling For Israel's Annihilation Praise For Iran-Backed Terror Groups And Their "Martyrs" Sharing Posts By Designated Terrorist Organization Samidoun As of July 10, 2025, the account has 14.9K followers, follows 688 accounts, and has made 5,513 posts. The account was established in June 2017. The account description lists the organization's Telegram account, website, encrypted ProtonMail account, and a backup X account. Glorifying Pro-Palestinian Shooter Elias Rodriguez Targeted Event Outside Capital Jewish Museum, Killing Two Sharing a post by "@Plz_Relax_" on May 22, 2025, Unity of Fields critiqued the post stating that "The people 'actually paying the price' are Palestinians facing genocide, and Elias Rodriguez who is now a political prisoner. And the people defending him the hardest, like us, are people also facing repression. The idea is absolutely absurd that PSL [Party For Socialism And Liberation] is a victim here and not a liberal NGO with access to hundreds of millions of dollars using their huge platforms with millions of followers to throw militants to the empire's dungeons rather than defending the armed resistance." Unity of Fields then reposted Bronx Anti-War's May 22, 2025 post stating "We need more Elias Rodriguez in this world."[4] For more on the Bronx Anti-War Coalition, see MEMRI TV clip No. 12030; for more on The Party For Socialism And Liberation, see clip no. 12024. The Unity of Fields X account posted on May 23, 2025: "What Elias Rodriguez did was an act of solidarity and love for the Palestinian people. If this seems crazy and unhinged to you, ask yourself why you are so well adjusted to a constant stream of disemboweled and starving children—made possible by the country in which you reside" followed by "A whole lot of you are good Germans".[5] On May 25, 2025, Unity of Fields replied to its own post promoting a pro-Elias Rodriguez zine on its website adding that now people can download, print, and post Elias Rodriguez stickers.[6] Sharing a post by user "@TovNaganin" on May 26, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account reposted a photo of a flyer with the text "Make Zionists Afraid" and a red triangle on top of a photo of murdered Israeli Embassy staffer Yaron Lischinsky.[7] On May 26, 2025, Bronx Anti-War posted "Elias Rodriguez is paving the way for resistance in the West, leading by example and moving beyond mere symbolic gestures or rhetorical support for the Palestinian cause. We endorse this statement and encourage all other organizations to do so as well" then replied to its own post saying "'Globalize the intifada' is not just a slogan, but a call to action!" Unity of Fields shared these posts.[8] On May 26, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account published a post encouraging people to sign on to the "Free Elias Rodriguez Organizing Committee," claiming his murders were a "legitimate act of resistance." The account replied to its post on May 28, 2025, reposting the address to write to Elias Rodriguez in jail.[9] On May 26, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account published a post encouraging people to sign on to the "Free Elias Rodriguez Organizing Committee," claiming his murders were a "legitimate act of resistance." The account replied to its post on the same day adding: "Elias Rodriguez's act was fully justified, at that place where legal and moral duties meet. It is clear that international law, which the West itself established and whose institutions are dominated by the interest of these imperialists, establishes a duty to take action to stop genocide, including the use of violence to do so."[10] On May 27, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account wrote a post stating: "Think of all of the images of absolute horror that we have seen in the past 4 days alone and then try to claim that what Elias Rodriguez did was wrong. Try to make an argument for why he isn't worth defending. Elias Rodriguez is the most moral man in Amerika."[11] Sharing a post from Zionist New York Congressman Ritchie Torres where Torres condemned the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) for standing with Elias Rodriguez on May 28, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account added: "These are the most principled DSA members in the country, and they are brave for standing with Elias Rodriguez and all political prisoners, despite DSA leadership's liberal zionism and traitorous collaborationism with the ruling class."[12] Promoting a song by X user "@cheinglorious" on May 30, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account encouraged its followers to listen to the song, followed by a photo of some of the lyrics of the song. The lyrics include "Uh free Elias Rodriguez. Film myself killing Zionists in hi res [high resolution]."[13] Sharing one of their own posts from May 26, 2025, the Unity of Fields account added: "Orgs and individuals, you can still sign onto this support statement for Elias! Use the link below or email on May 31, 2025.[14] On June 2, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account reposted from "@atlajala" "not sure if people are seeing this yet, but an Egyptian man, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, just attacked a zionist march in Colorado with molotovs." The account followed up by reposting its May 22, 2025 response to the murders of Israeli Embassy staffers Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky "We ain't condemning shit."[15] The Unity of Fields X account posted and pinned a donation fund for Elias Rodriguez on June 7, 2025.[16] Reposting their pinned post, the Unity of Fields X account added "If you donated to Luigi's [Mangione] defense fund you should donate to Elias Rodriguez's. Or else you're a zionist social democrat" followed by a reply post stating "Nobody likes a 'healthcare only' cracker/cracker sympathizer. Give your bucks and prayers to the beloved third worldist assassin, Elias Rodriguez." Both posts were made on June 7, 2025.[17] On June 9, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account posted "Seen in Athens, Greece: 'DEATH TO ISRAEL, HONOUR AND FREEDOM TO ELIAS RODRIGUEZ'" accompanied by a photo of a large banner with those words.[18] Calls For Violence Against The Police, ICE, And The U.S. – "Dreaming Of 100,000,000 October 7ths Against The U.S." In a now-deleted post, the Unity of Fields X account wrote "THIS! Holding 'solidarity actions' for an ongoing uprising in the US is goofy.. single issue-pacifism brain. ICE is everyone's problem. Our focus right now should be turning the LA unrest into every city in Amerika unrest. Only militant, direct confrontation will get us there." [19] In a since deleted post, the Unity of Fields X account shared a repost of "@ok_but_still" which said "dreaming of 100000000000 october 7ths" and added "against the united states."[20] Shortly after the murders of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, the Unity of Fields X account reposted one of its previous posts from September 4, 2024 that said "We reject the concept of 'peaceful protest' all together. There is no way to undermine empire peacefully. The point of our resistance is to reject their peace—white peace—which is built on the backs of the oppressed billions who live under the boot of US hegemony." [21] On May 13, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account posted "thread featuring our engagement with and interventions in the Student Intifada" which included reposting old Unity of Fields X posts.[22] Reposting its own May 3, 2025 post on May 13, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account promoted the Columbia Barnard College students' takeover of the Milstein Library. The account replied with a repost of one of its March 5, 2025 posts showing that the protestors used Unity of Fields' zines at the takeover.[23] Sharing a post by right-wing journalist Andy Ngo, @ on May 17, 2025, the Unity of Fields account added: "Great tweet from imperialist running dog Klandy Ngo. Violence is absolutely necessary!" The organization responded to its post with "Oops, typo. KKKlandy*"[24] The Unity of Fields X account posted "The western world has no right to exist or defend itself" with a pointing emoji on May 21, 2025.[25] Unity of Fields posted a screenshot on X of Communist Party USA's announcement on May 22, 2025 condemning the murders of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky with the caption "They just keep coming. Full mask off moment for all the 'movement organizations' who will turn your ass in to the Gestapo in the blink of an eye. We are not in unity with these counterinsurgent liberal zionists; our unity is based in shared principles of resistance." On the same day, the account reposted its original post and added "Very revealing moment now that there is actually an act of armed resistance from within the U.S. for self-proclaimed revolutionary organizations to support or condemn. Make no mistake, the ones who condemn are enemies of the revolution. They will sell you out and turn you in." [26] On June 7, 2025, the X account of Unity of Fields wrote: "Every militant taking the streets against these fascist amerikan entities must foreground internationalism as our fundamental project. When we say 'fuck ICE' we are saying 'Free Palestine', when we say 'globalize the Intifada' we are saying 'abolish the police.'" The account then responded to its own post, stating: "Some might even call this "unity of the fields" but we are just spit balling......"[27] On June 7, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account published a post reading: "The anti-ICE protests and anti-policing protests are also anti-genocide protests. Imperialism, colonialism and systemic white supremacy are global genocidal systems—one struggle. One enemy." The account then reposted it and added "Reactionaries will say this sounds like anti-semitism but they say everything sounds like anti-semitism. Are we seeking to overthrow the imperialist system that produces endless war, displacement, genocide, poverty and famine all over the world? Or are we playing paddy cake?" They later added the reply "What the state is making abundantly clear, especially in the past two years, is that there is no reformist option. They want to crush any movement whatsoever. The only way out of this is the radical, revolutionary path. The sooner begun the sooner done."[28] On X, Unity of Fields wrote on June 7, 2025: "One of the best things you can do for Gaza is start fuckin major problems in the US. ICE is looking for trouble..."[29] Reposting a February 6, 2025 post from its own account glorifying the "Student Intifada" protesting ICE in Los Angeles, the Unity of Fields X account added "The migrant youth showed us the way. It's riot season baby" on June 7, 2025.[30] Responding to a video of Los Angeles Waymo cars on fire posted by X user "@BGOnTheScene," the Unity of Fields X account posted "MORE. MORE AND MORE AND MORE. MORREEEEE" on June 8, 2025.[31] Calling for "Intifada everywhere. Death to imperialism" on June 8, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account posted four photos of violent riots.[32] Calling to "Globalize the Intifada" on June 8, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account claimed: "Los Angeles understands the assignment. Where you at Bay Area? Chi? NYC? Atlanta? Baltimore? The whole country needs to go up, no mercy."[33] The Unity of Fields X account posted "Angelenos throwing Modelo Molotovs at ICE while wearing Keffiyehs. We are locked the fuck in, folks" on June 8, 2025.[34] Writing on June 9, 2025, the X account of Unity of Fields posted: "Hearing reports that the Hamas Marxist Army continues to grow in cities & towns across amerikkka. They are saying that the Fourth Reich created its own grave diggers and the internally colonized masses are in revolt. It is right to rebel, they say. Interesting development!"[35] Posting photos of Los Angeles riots submitted from a follower on June 9, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account wrote: "The masses are done with picturesque peaceful mass-arrest compliance. It's time, been time, to start fighting the fuck back. This is a proactive war being waged on the Fourth Reich. MORE!"[36] As a response to X user "@jeremotographs" posting "Holy shit. Somebody just drove by the federal building in downtown and shot a cop in the face with a paintball gun," Unity of Fields replied "Now we're not saying anything but... wouldn't it be cool if..." on June 9, 2025.[37] Posting a graphic of a Molotov cocktail with the words "Light my fire... Melt I.C.E." on June 9, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account added the caption "What NYC needs now is not another barricade-guarded standing-around hangout in downtown Manhattan pretending to be a protest. What NYC needs is mass revolt in the neighborhoods ICE is targeting. These uprisings are not just out of moral opposition to ICE! They're proactive self-defense against the Gestapo targeting our neighbors! Once we begin targeting ICE where they carry out their disappearances, we'll start seeing results. Burn their cars. Push them back. Make them afraid!"[38] On June 11, 2025, Unity of Fields posted a video on X of people in Tucson, Arizona attacking ICE agents with the caption: "The community in Tucson repels ICE invaders by spraying them with paint balls, throwing metal barricades and other projectiles, while defending the crowd with shields, helmets/goggles, and a tight formation. The ICE thugs retreat like cowardly paper tigers. Take notes!"[39] Unity of Fields posted three photos of graffiti reading "Kill ICE Agents" taken in San Francisco, California on June 11, 2025.[40] Sharing a year and a half old video of Yemenis calling for war, the Unity of Fields X account praised the chant on June 12, 2025, adding the caption: "WE DON'T CARE, WE DON'T CARE, WE DON'T CARE! TURN IT INTO A MAJOR WORLD WAR!"[41] Sharing a post by "@Helyeh_Doutaghi" on June 12, 2025, Unity of Fields added: "EVERY US MILITARY APPARATUS IS A LEGITIMATE TARGET."[42] On June 14, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account wrote: "Deport the amerikkkan entity and the zionist entity to the dustbins of history."[43] Unity of Fields reposted Charlotte Kates's June 14, 2025 X post stating "As always: strive to live up to the example set by Yemen in organization, development & military/popular action and integration!"[44] Sharing a post by user "@Helyeh_Doutaghi" on June 16, 2025, the Unity of Fields account added a quote by former Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who they called a martyr: "According to some theories, Israel controls America. No sir. It is America that controls Israel. If the Americans want to stop something, they can make it stop. The claim that the Americans cannot force Israel to do something is nonsense."[45] As a response to Israel bombing Iran's nuclear facilities, the Unity of Fields X account posted "Iran has more than a simple right to defend itself, it has a completely legitimate right to obliterate every amerikan presence in the region" on June 23, 2025.[46] In response to Iran launching rockets at the United States's Qatar base, on June 23, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account wrote "Hearing reports that a US base is getting bombed in kkkatar. We're praying for the safety of the Iranian missiles. May they find their targets without interception."[47] The X account of Unity of Fields posted a photo of caskets wrapped in American flags with the caption "Soon inshallah" on June 23, 2025.[48] On July 4, 2025, the Unity of Fields account shared a post by user "@atlajala" which said: "thinking about the narrowly failed attempt by the george jackson brigade to bomb a substation on july 4 1977 to knock out a power grid in olympia in solidarity w/ prison struggle in walla walla & how perfect a day of planned explosions is as cover to carry out such actions."[49] On July 4, 2025, Unity of Fields reposted a zine by Designated Terror group Samidoun, emphasizing Samidoun's claim that imperialism, rather than terrorism, is the real enemy. For more on the zine, see MEMRI JTTM report Terrorist-Designated Samidoun, Linked To Popular Front For The Liberation Of Palestine (PFLP), Publishes Online 'Zine' Offering Guidance For Those Facing Terrorist Designation).[50] On July 7, 2025, Unity of Fields posted a screenshot of a news report on X with the caption "Enemy media reporting armed attacks against the Gestapo [Secret Nazi police] in Texas. Today a man was killed allegedly attacking CBP. On the 4th of July, protestors allegedly sabotaged ICE vehicles and security cameras, and launched fireworks to lure pigs to the ICE facility on the 4th of July."[51] Sharing a post by user "@MattFinnFNC" with photos of defaced police cars and reports of attempted murder on ICE agents, the Unity of Fields X account added: "Speak to fascists in a language they understand" on July 8, 2025.[52] On July 17, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account published a post reading: "Amerikkka is the source of evil, not bad actors within it. We can't allow excuses to be made for this monstrously genocidal plantation masquerading as a nation. Remove one person or five hundred from its government, nothing will change as long as amerikkka still exists" and replied with "The basic truth that many don't want to admit is that the problem is the United States, not just Trump, or Biden, or this agency or that one. Nothing will change unless the whole thing crumbles. Which it will!"[53] Praising October 7, 2023 Attacks, Calling For Israel's Annihilation On January 16, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account posted "Two, three, many Al-Aqsa Floods."[54] In response to a May 21, 2025 Sky News article that Kneecap's Liam O'Hanna was charged with terrorism for supporting Hizbullah, Unity of Fields responded "No matter how much you backtrack and condemn the resistance, like KNEECAP did, they will still come for you. So why lick the boots of the oppressors? Why not uphold the armed anti-imperialist struggle as widely and loudly as possible?"[55] Unity of Fields on X reposted an article by "@AlAkhbarEn" with the quote "[The PFLP] maintained that targeting the enemy should not be restricted by geography, since the enemy itself had made the entire world a battlefield" on May 23, 2025.[56] X user "@nataliesurely" posted "All else aside, claims that 'the assassinated diplomats were peace crusaders killed at a humanitarian event' are straightforwardly, laughably untrue, and the point of insisting on it is to discredit anti-Israel sentiment as hopelessly confused and irrational." On May 24, 2025, Unity of Fields responded: "Strikingly similar to 'the music festival was a celebration for peace and everyone killed on 10/7 was a bleeding heart peace activist.'"[57] In response to the anti-ICE riots, on June 8, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account wrote "This level of militant, revolutionary internationalism in the heart of Amerika was unthinkable before the al-Aqsa Flood. We owe everything to the anti-colonial armed resistance of the Palestinian people. Sinwar and Deif and all of the brave warriors. a compass for all free people" and responded to its post with "It is Palestine and armed struggle and third world revolution that lit this spark. It ripped open a portal to a new world and colonized people everywhere are jumping through it. Lots of tears shed today, unbelievable scenes."[58] On June 8, 2025, the Unity of Fields X account stated the crew of Greta Thunberg's Madleen was "kidnapped by the IOF [IDF]. They are the definition of political prisoners. Free them fucking all! Next flotilla should be armed to the fucking teeth!" then responded with "DEATH TO THE ZIONIST ENTITY! DEATH TO AMERIKKKA!"[59] On June 13, 2025, Unity of Fields responded to a post by "@ihcentoo" showing Israelis being rescued from rubble resulting from Iranian missile attacks with "LEAVE THEM TEHRE! LEAVE THEM THERE!" They later responded to an Israeli woman asking for prayers in her bomb shelter with "LMFAOOOO [Laughing my fucking ass off]."[60] Unity of Fields responded to a post by X user "@BIG__Brother7" claiming there were casualties in Iran's missile attack on Tel Aviv with "They deserve far, far worse, and they will get it" on June 13, 2025. The response was followed by a standalone post saying "Settlers are not civilians."[61] Unity of Fields shared a post by Charlotte Kates, the International Coordinator of Designated Terrorist Organization Samidoun, on June 13, 2025. Kates wrote: "This is a time of war, a time of genocide. A time when everyone must choose a side: with the US-European empire and its Zionist project, or with Palestine and the people of the world. When we participate in the battle for humanity, we carry responsibilities." The account then posted "The more fronts we open here, the more difficult it is for the US-zio death machine to carry out its genocidal war in the Arab-Iranian region. Stay in the streets this weekend to upend imperialism everywhere. Be relentless, don't get arrested, stay in the streets" Unity of Fields added: "Something new dropping for you the Hunan stuff we promised." with a red triangle and salute emoji.[62] Unity of Fields reposted on May 25, 2025 a video from All-African People's Revolutionary Party (A-APRP), "@AAPRP" on X, featuring Designated Terrorist Khaled Barakat, who is a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Samidoun, and Masar Badil. In the video, Barakat claims: "The Palestinian Liberation movement and the African Liberation movement are twins."[63] Responding to a news report of ICE detainees escaping, Unity of Fields on X took a screenshot of part of the article and highlighted the phrase "reportedly using bedsheets to parachute to the ground." The account captioned this screenshot with "The spirit of Attica and the Al-Aqsa Flood is everywhere" on June 14, 2025.[64] Praise For Iran-Backed Terror Groups And Their "Martyrs" Sharing a poster of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the account praised him as a martyr on June 15, 2025, writing: "A photo of the martyr leader Yahya Sinwar was displayed during yesterday's Iranian celebrations of the True Promise 3. Glory to the martyrs. Glory to the Al-Aqsa Flood" with a Palestinian and Iranian flag emoji before the message.[65] Sharing a post by user "@AlAndalus074478" on June 29, 2025 showing "Al-Aqsa Flood training courses" in Yemen, the Unity of Fields account added: "Amazing idea for local organizers."[66] On March 30, 2025, Unity of Fields praised October 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar claiming that "Sinwar has touched the heart of the youth in the imperial core and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it, thank God. Revolution is irresistible." [67] Unity of Fields posted a graphic of fighters from the military wing of Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades, shooting at a tank with a red triangle over it on May 26, 2025 stating "Our resolve is the resolve of the Brigades. The sword of Al-Qassam is victorious."[68] The X account for Unity of Fields reposted its own post about the The Lydd Airport Operation between the Japanese Red Army and PFLP on May 30, 2025, calling it "This is the highest form of international solidarity."[69] On June 2, 2025, X user "@BIG__Brother7" posted "Al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas), Saraya Al-Quds (PIJ), Abu Ali Mustafa (PFLP), Omar Al-Qasim Forces (DFLP), and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades have all announced operations today targeting enemy forces" with a picture of the groups standing together in uniform. Unity of Fields added "the unity of the fields."[70] Unity of Fields praised the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Saraya Al-Quds, on June 8, 2025 by writing on X "By God, you will not extinguish our resolve, Nor will you erase our memory. We are the people of war and victory, And you are the losers."[71] Unity of Fields reposted one of its posts made on June 9, 2025 featuring a man wearing a Hamas armband and a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) headband at an anti-ICE rally, calling it "some real unity of the fields type shit."[72] Unity of Fields praised the military wing of the PFLP, Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, on June 13, 2025, posting "It is impossible for the fiery pulse to be silenced. It is impossible. Glory to the fighting arms... Long live the resistance. Al-Aqsa Flood."[73] Sharing a poster of slain IRGC Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani, the account praised him as a martyr and quoted him saying "Defending Palestine, for us, is honor and dignity, and we will not trade this for any worldly goods" on June 14, 2025.[74] Responding to a picture of a banner in Tehran, Iran featuring Nasrallah, Soleimani, Nasrallah, Sinwar, and Deif posted by "@Seamus_Malek," Unity of Fields posted "The international unity of the fields. 'The Axis of Resistance exists throughout the of us who fight against colonialism, all of us who fight to decolonize our minds and our people, are part of the Axis of Resistance,' in the words of Nicolás Maduro" on June 15, 2025.[75] Unity of Fields praised PIJ on June 16, 2025, sharing a picture of damage to Israeli buildings from June 2025 and May 2023.[76] The X account of Unity of Fields honored the PFLP with "A salute from the revolutionaries of Palestine to the revolutionaries of Iran" on June 17, 2025.[77]
Telegraph
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
LA riots backed by pro-Hamas activists who called for city to burn
The violent protests engulfing Los Angeles are backed by pro-Hamas activists who called for the city to be 'burned', it can be revealed. Unity of Fields (UoF) celebrated attacks on police and encouraged an 'intifada' in response to the detention of illegal migrants. They shared details of upcoming protests with their members, encouraging them to take part in the 'uprising' and to spread the unrest across the US, The Telegraph can reveal. The group also celebrated a rioter who burned a self-driving Waymo car while wearing a Hamas armband and waving a Mexican flag. 'Wearing a Hamas armband and a PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) headband while burning a Waymo vehicle and waving a Mexican flag at the militant anti-ICE resistance is some real unity of the fields type s—,' the group wrote of the man. Protests against ICE raids targeting illegal migrants in California, some taking place at their workplaces, erupted in the state on Friday, with some turning violent. UoF organisers encouraged the followers to intervene to thwart ICE agents from arresting illegal migrants writing: 'Direct confrontation is the only way.' Formerly known as Palestine Action US, the group formed in 2023 shortly after the October 7 attacks. UoF, a phrase referring to a unified Palestinian armed resistance against Israel, announced it was transitioning into 'militant propaganda' against the United States a year later. 'We don't mean unity for unity's sake, but the protracted struggle it will take to reach a principled, higher unity against the forces of imperialism, Zionism, and fascism,' it wrote at the time. The group was subsequently banned from social media, including Meta, but remains on X. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, last year implored the Department of Justice to open a domestic terror investigation into the 'anti-zionist' group over fears it could harm American citizens. Using Telegram, the encrypted messaging service, the group shared details of the LA riots to 10,000 supporters, who they have dubbed the 'Hamas Marxist army''. Apple subsequently banned the Telegram channel on all iPhones and other iOS devices in recent days. But their inflammatory language has continued online, where they referred to police officers as 'pigs' and urged them to be terrorised. 'Study the way that the broader community showed up to defend the UCLA encampment from zionist pigs and the LA pig department. This kind of community defence is embedded in the ground work that is happening in LA, learn from them,' a post read. The group wrote on X: 'You know what are good optics? Burning s--- down, pushing fascists off your block, and keeping your loved ones out of the state's dungeons. (Some might even call that winning)' In a statement to The Telegraph, UoF said its 'LA Intifada is one part of the international revolutionary sequence that was opened up by the Toufan Al-Aqsa,' a reference to the Hamas massacre of Israelis on October 7. The group went on to describe as 'legitimate' the killing of two innocent Israeli embassy workers in Washington DC last month. 'We view any acts of resistance against the violence of US-led imperialism as legitimate, from the George Floyd Rebellion to the LA Intifada to Elias Rodriguez's martyrdom operation.' Mr Rodriguez has been charged with federal and local murder offences in connection with the shooting of the Israeli embassy workers on May 27. The statement concluded: 'The duty of every revolutionary is to make the revolution. Long live the global intifada!' They concluded the statement with 'Up the Ra!' seemingly a reference to the IRA. As protests spread around the country, so too did the call for violence. The Solidarity Network, a group of 'anarchist organisers' in South Florida, shared a post on social media suggesting peaceful protests do not work. Writing that they were in 'solidarity with those fighting in LA', it said: 'Riots downtown are great, but what can you accomplish in small numbers, wearing a mask at night, with your phone at home?' They wrote: 'How's your cardio? Do your friends and you have a unique sign language? Have you ever crushed up car spark plugs? Do you know how to dampen and treat tear gas and pepper agents?' The group urged those interested to turn up to join protests 'in a mask', before adding it was 'not discouraging nor encouraging any specific illegal activity'. While the groups' funding remains unclear, one billionaire with links to Shanghai is accused of bankrolling some of the radical organisations involved in this week's peaceful protests. China-based Neville Roy Singham is expected to be called to testify in front of Congress about his funding of non-profits and Marxist groups. They include the Party for Liberation and Socialism, which is thought to have organised the peaceful demonstrations against ICE officials. There is no suggestion they were involved with any of the violence that engulfed LA. 'Paid insurrectionists behind violence' Donald Trump has claimed 'paid insurrectionists' were behind the violence in California. The US president said well-equipped 'agitators' had been paid to cause chaos in the country's second-biggest city, which has been the scene of disorder since Friday. 'These are paid insurrectionists. These are paid troublemakers. They're agitators. They're paid,' Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday. 'Do you think somebody walks up to a kerb and starts hammering pieces out, has all the equipment necessary and starts handing it out to people to use as a weapon? These are paid insurrectionists or agitators or troublemakers.' Using the term 'insurrectionists' opens the door to the president invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act, which would give deployed troops the power to arrest protesters. While the majority of protesters have been peaceful in Los Angeles, agitators have been turning up looking for trouble. Some have torched self-driving cars or thrown rocks, fireworks and Molotov cocktails at police. These groups, who are often dressed in head-to-toe black, their faces completely covered by masks, become more active after dark. Several journalists were shot by officers using non-lethal rounds as they covered the protests including a photographer employed by The Telegraph. Mr Trump deployed 2,000 members of the National Guard to the city, prompting a power struggle with Gavin Newsom, the California governor. A further 700 US marines have since arrived in the city. On Monday evening, police made over 100 arrests while two officers were injured. Ninety-six of the arrests were for failing to disperse in the downtown Los Angeles area.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Some far-left groups have encouraged peaceful protests to turn violent, experts say
It was approaching nightfall in Los Angeles on Sunday when black-clad demonstrators began to torch a row of self-driving Waymo taxis. Within minutes, videos of the fiery scenes began to pop up on social media. 'MORE. MORE AND MORE AND MORE,' a group known as Unity of Fields posted on X, along with a video of the flaming vehicles. The post wasn't an anomaly. Since the start of the demonstrations against immigration raids in Los Angeles, the Unity of Fields X account has been pumping out messages urging people to wreak havoc in the streets and 'give 'em hell.' It's part of a far-left online ecosystem that has proliferated in recent years, experts say. Some of the groups behind the accounts express contempt for peaceful resistance and glorify acts of violence — and even murders, like those of the UnitedHealthcare CEO and two Israeli Embassy staffers. The leftist networks tend to be different from right-wing groups in that they are typically decentralized with no leadership structures. But they can be highly adept at using social media, and some have been working hard to amplify and celebrate the acts of violent protesters in Los Angeles. 'Whether they directly threw a Molotov cocktail is actually not as essential as the ecosystem of encouragement and coordination they have created,' said Joel Finkelstein, a co-founder of the Network Contagion Research Institute, a nonpartisan group that tracks online extremism. The unrest in Los Angeles follows a pattern that has played out in numerous cities over the past five years in which protests that break out remain mostly peaceful during the day, but at night agitators engage in fiery clashes with police. That dynamic tends to distract from the focus of the demonstrations — in this case, workplace immigration raids by federal agents — and provide fodder to people who oppose them. In this case, that's President Donald Trump and his supporters, who have sought to dismiss the broader protest movement as the work of 'paid insurrectionists.' 'What's concerning is the attempt to conflate the individual actors who do commit violence with the mass movement as a whole,' said Jon Lewis, a research fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. He said the narrative pushed by some people on the right — in his words, that there's a 'roving band of antifa groupies who are following protests from city to city' — doesn't comport with reality. But, Lewis added, there has no doubt been a normalization of violence in parts of the left, although it is more fractured than in right-wing groups. 'It's a little bit of anti-capitalist stuff in one case. A little bit of antisemitic stuff in another case,' he said. 'I think that reflects the nature of those online leftist movements where there is no cohesive, central structure.' More than 300 people have been arrested since the demonstrations broke out Friday in Los Angeles, police say. The charges include failure to disperse, looting, arson and attacks on police officers. Police Chief Jim McDonnell said demonstrators have shot commercial-grade fireworks at police officers and hurled pieces of concrete at them. Were they the acts of lone wolves seizing an opportunity to target police? Or was there a level of coordination and planning among the instigators? Experts say it's likely to be a combination of both. 'You have the organized protests by people who are committed to a particular cause, and then you have radical fringes,' said Dan Byman, the director of the Warfare, Irregular Threats and Terrorism Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'They might put on airs and call themselves anarchists or something like that, but they're young people who like destruction.' The Network Contagion Research Institute has been analyzing the rise of what it calls 'anarcho-socialist extremism.' It has found that the chaos and violence that have broken out at some of the major protests in recent years, like those against the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, weren't as spontaneous as they might have seemed. 'What we found in our research is there are groups that were attempting to exploit the situation, oftentimes after dark, and their coordination was somewhat sophisticated,' said Alex Goldenberg, a senior adviser to the Network Contagion Research Institute. That involved demonstrators' surveilling police movements and sharing tips about making the most destructive Molotov cocktails, Goldenberg said. 'They were trying to exploit an already volatile situation in an attempt to provoke violent clashes with police, create viral moments to inflame tensions and draw in others through emotional triggers,' he said. Soon after it launched in 2019, the Network Contagion Research Institute focused on right-wing threats like the Boogaloos, a loose-knit anti-government movement that calls for violence against law enforcement and political opponents. But it soon found that left-wing groups were using many of the same tactics to incite violence. A 2022 report by the institute found that animus toward law enforcement among anarchist types had been proliferating online for years. The appearance of posts with anti-police outrage and/or memes and coded language increased over 1,000% on Twitter and 300% on Reddit during the period of the Floyd protests in 2020, the report found. One anti-police group, the People's City Council Los Angeles, has taken to calling out the actions of officers at the protests, using expletives and slights. Just before 1 a.m. Tuesday, it posted on X the name and picture of a police officer it said was firing rubber bullets at protesters. He is 'f-----g unhinged and unloading on protesters at point blank range,' the post read. 'F--K THIS PIG!!' On Sunday, the group posted a video showing a line of police officers in riot gear. 'LAPD trying to kettle right now,' the group wrote, referring to a crowd control tactic used by police. 'Oink oink piggy piggy, we going make your life s----y…' The violent demonstrators seemed to represent a mishmash of causes. Many of the people seen hurling objects at police and setting fires were dressed in all black, their faces covered in masks. Some waved Mexican flags, others Palestinian flags. At least one man was photographed wearing a Hamas armband. 'Angelenos throwing Modelo Molotovs at ICE while wearing Keffiyehs,' read a post on X by Unity of Fields. 'We are locked the f--k in, folks.' Unity of Fields, which was formerly known as Palestine Action US, describes itself as a 'militant front against the US-NATO-zionist axis of imperialism.' 'The Unity of Fields concept comes from the Palestinian resistance,' the group said last year in a blog post announcing the name change. 'It refers to the coordination between all the factions on the battlefield despite their geographic fragmentation or ideological differences.' Finkelstein, the co-founder of the Network Contagion Research Institute, said such groups and the people who follow them represent what he described as 'assassination culture' — in which targeted killings are considered acceptable by those who harbor an array of grievances. Unity of Fields, for example, is helping raise money to cover legal costs for Elias Rodriguez, the Chicago man accused of fatally shooting the Israeli Embassy workers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington last month. 'My sense is that beneath these grievances is a shared sense of loss of control,' said Finkelstein, who is a psychologist and a neuroscientist. 'Who are the people that really feel a sense of hopelessness in their lives? Most are looking for significance, and they think they found it here.' In response to a request for comment, Unity of Fields wrote: 'We will never condemn people who fight to free themselves. When the masses in Los Angeles began using direct action as a means of halting ICE-gestapo disappearances, the media saw only the violence of resistance and never the violence of the status quo.' It added: 'All acts of resistance to state violence are justified and all power belongs to the masses.' The People's City Council Los Angeles didn't respond to a request for comment. While the violent parts of the protests in Los Angeles began to die down Monday, demonstrations against the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants have spread to several other cities, including Boston, Chicago, Dallas and New York. So far, none has experienced violence at the levels in Los Angeles, but whether that will remain the case is an open question. Unity of Fields has made it clear it's hoping for a repeat in cities like New York. 'NYC, how are you gonna let Angelenos beat you at your favorite pastime (terrorizing police officers)?' the group said Monday on X. 'Hamas Marxist Army get down there and show them what New Yorkers can do when they put their heads together!" This article was originally published on
NBC News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Some far-left groups have encouraged peaceful protests to turn violent, experts say
It was approaching nightfall in Los Angeles on Sunday when black-clad demonstrators began to torch a row of self-driving Waymo taxis. Within minutes, videos of the fiery scenes began to pop up on social media. 'MORE. MORE AND MORE AND MORE,' a group known as Unity of Fields posted on X, along with a video of the flaming vehicles. The post wasn't an anomaly. Since the start of the demonstrations against immigration raids in Los Angeles, the Unity of Fields X account has been pumping out messages urging people to wreak havoc in the streets and 'give 'em hell.' It's part of a far-left online ecosystem that has proliferated in recent years, experts say. Some of the groups behind the accounts express contempt for peaceful resistance and glorify acts of violence — and even murders, like those of the UnitedHealthcare CEO and two Israeli Embassy staffers. The leftist networks tend to be different from right-wing groups in that they are typically decentralized with no leadership structures. But they can be highly adept at using social media, and some have been working hard to amplify and celebrate the acts of violent protesters in Los Angeles. 'Whether they directly threw a Molotov cocktail is actually not as essential as the ecosystem of encouragement and coordination they have created,' said Joel Finkelstein, a co-founder of the Network Contagion Research Institute, a nonpartisan group that tracks online extremism. The unrest in Los Angeles follows a pattern that has played out in numerous cities over the past five years in which protests that break out remain mostly peaceful during the day, but at night agitators engage in fiery clashes with police. That dynamic tends to distract from the focus of the demonstrations — in this case, workplace immigration raids by federal agents — and provide fodder to people who oppose them. In this case, that's President Donald Trump and his supporters, who have sought to dismiss the broader protest movement as the work of 'paid insurrectionists.' 'What's concerning is the attempt to conflate the individual actors who do commit violence with the mass movement as a whole,' said Jon Lewis, a research fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. He said the narrative pushed by some people on the right — in his words, that there's a 'roving band of antifa groupies who are following protests from city to city' — doesn't comport with reality. But, Lewis added, there has no doubt been a normalization of violence in parts of the left, although it is more fractured than in right-wing groups. 'It's a little bit of anti-capitalist stuff in one case. A little bit of antisemitic stuff in another case,' he said. 'I think that reflects the nature of those online leftist movements where there is no cohesive, central structure.' More than 300 people have been arrested since the demonstrations broke out Friday in Los Angeles, police say. The charges include failure to disperse, looting, arson and attacks on police officers. Police Chief Jim McDonnell said demonstrators have shot commercial-grade fireworks at police officers and hurled pieces of concrete at them. Were they the acts of lone wolves seizing an opportunity to target police? Or was there a level of coordination and planning among the instigators? Experts say it's likely to be a combination of both. 'You have the organized protests by people who are committed to a particular cause, and then you have radical fringes,' said Dan Byman, the director of the Warfare, Irregular Threats and Terrorism Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'They might put on airs and call themselves anarchists or something like that, but they're young people who like destruction.' The Network Contagion Research Institute has been analyzing the rise of what it calls 'anarcho-socialist extremism.' It has found that the chaos and violence that have broken out at some of the major protests in recent years, like those against the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, weren't as spontaneous as they might have seemed. 'What we found in our research is there are groups that were attempting to exploit the situation, oftentimes after dark, and their coordination was somewhat sophisticated,' said Alex Goldenberg, a senior adviser to the Network Contagion Research Institute. That involved demonstrators' surveilling police movements and sharing tips about making the most destructive Molotov cocktails, Goldenberg said. 'They were trying to exploit an already volatile situation in an attempt to provoke violent clashes with police, create viral moments to inflame tensions and draw in others through emotional triggers,' he said. Soon after it launched in 2019, the Network Contagion Research Institute focused on right-wing threats like the Boogaloos, a loose-knit anti-government movement that calls for violence against law enforcement and political opponents. But it soon found that left-wing groups were using many of the same tactics to incite violence. A 2022 report by the institute found that animus toward law enforcement among anarchist types had been proliferating online for years. The appearance of posts with anti-police outrage and/or memes and coded language increased over 1,000% on Twitter and 300% on Reddit during the period of the Floyd protests in 2020, the report found. 'Assassination culture' One anti-police group, the People's City Council Los Angeles, has taken to calling out the actions of officers at the protests, using expletives and slights. Just before 1 a.m. Tuesday, it posted on X the name and picture of a police officer it said was firing rubber bullets at protesters. He is 'f-----g unhinged and unloading on protesters at point blank range,' the post read. 'F--K THIS PIG!!' On Sunday, the group posted a video showing a line of police officers in riot gear. 'LAPD trying to kettle right now,' the group wrote, referring to a crowd control tactic used by police. 'Oink oink piggy piggy, we going make your life s----y…' The violent demonstrators seemed to represent a mishmash of causes. Many of the people seen hurling objects at police and setting fires were dressed in all black, their faces covered in masks. Some waved Mexican flags, others Palestinian flags. At least one man was photographed wearing a Hamas armband. 'Angelenos throwing Modelo Molotovs at ICE while wearing Keffiyehs,' read a post on X by Unity of Fields. 'We are locked the f--k in, folks.' Unity of Fields, which was formerly known as Palestine Action US, describes itself as a 'militant front against the US-NATO-zionist axis of imperialism.' 'The Unity of Fields concept comes from the Palestinian resistance,' the group said last year in a blog post announcing the name change. 'It refers to the coordination between all the factions on the battlefield despite their geographic fragmentation or ideological differences.' Finkelstein, the co-founder of the Network Contagion Research Institute, said such groups and the people who follow them represent what he described as 'assassination culture' — in which targeted killings are considered acceptable by those who harbor an array of grievances. Unity of Fields, for example, is helping raise money to cover legal costs for Elias Rodriguez, the Chicago man accused of fatally shooting the Israeli Embassy workers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington last month. 'My sense is that beneath these grievances is a shared sense of loss of control,' said Finkelstein, who is a psychologist and a neuroscientist. 'Who are the people that really feel a sense of hopelessness in their lives? Most are looking for significance, and they think they found it here.' In response to a request for comment, Unity of Fields wrote: 'We will never condemn people who fight to free themselves. When the masses in Los Angeles began using direct action as a means of halting ICE-gestapo disappearances, the media saw only the violence of resistance and never the violence of the status quo.' It added: 'All acts of resistance to state violence are justified and all power belongs to the masses.' The People's City Council Los Angeles didn't respond to a request for comment. While the violent parts of the protests in Los Angeles began to die down Monday, demonstrations against the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants have spread to several other cities, including Boston, Chicago, Dallas and New York. So far, none has experienced violence at the levels in Los Angeles, but whether that will remain the case is an open question. Unity of Fields has made it clear it's hoping for a repeat in cities like New York. 'NYC, how are you gonna let Angelenos beat you at your favorite pastime (terrorizing police officers)?' the group said Monday on X. 'Hamas Marxist Army get down there and show them what New Yorkers can do when they put their heads together!"
