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Botany

(70,588 posts)
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 08:21 AM Apr 25

Why do I think that there is Russian/Right Wing influence and or money pushing the pro Hamas protesters?

And or supporting the pro Israeli side too. I woke up this am to see Mike Johnson asking for the
President of Columbia to be fired because of the assault on domestic tranquility because of
the protests on campus but that mother fucker has been pretty damn quite as per all the Free
Dumb caucus members who gave guided tours of the US Capitol or otherwise supported the
J-6th attempted coup.

No proof on my part but just a “gut feeling.” Now, I might be wrong because Botany =

Stirring up domestic problems such as installing Trump as President, QAnon, Proud Boys, passing
off misinformation as real news, and now this? Maybe my spidey senses are off but I think there
is more to these conflicts then meets my eyes.



45 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Why do I think that there is Russian/Right Wing influence and or money pushing the pro Hamas protesters? (Original Post) Botany Apr 25 OP
High probability that this is the case. Irish_Dem Apr 25 #1
His birthday is Oct. 7th. GreenWave Apr 25 #36
Good catch. Irish_Dem Apr 25 #37
Damn good question. Recommended. Auggie Apr 25 #2
I think... 2naSalit Apr 25 #3
During "Occupy" protests, they were referred to as the "blac bloc" "protestors" Mopar151 Apr 25 #28
Yes! 2naSalit Apr 25 #31
You may be surprised that quite a few people feel the same way................... Lovie777 Apr 25 #4
I'm sure of it. ms liberty Apr 25 #5
I agree. This suggestion has angered some on DU in recent weeks, but there clearly are FACTIONS hlthe2b Apr 25 #6
Columbia is currently a "closed campus". They literally have locked gates. LeftInTX Apr 25 #38
i think so too. on xitter, many have noticed the telltale signs- nice new tents, matching attire, mopinko Apr 25 #7
Every protest I have gone to in DC... Hope22 Apr 25 #8
Agreed. It's a well-known method of destabilization. See "Kermit Roosevelt". lostnfound Apr 25 #9
Mossadegh's crime was to say that the oil under Iran belonged to the Iranian people Botany Apr 25 #12
When Ron Johnson heads to Columbia Bristlecone Apr 25 #10
One of... 2naSalit Apr 25 #13
Yup. mn9driver Apr 25 #11
Putin's installation of Trump and many republicans in 2016 was part of the largest crime against Botany Apr 25 #15
The Russians and other bad actors infliltrate social media pretending to be everyday citizens. Earth-shine Apr 25 #14
And the Russians work with the rich and right wing think tanks/media all the time. I have Botany Apr 25 #16
Big money behind both of the PR campaigns IbogaProject Apr 25 #17
They want that Gaza Strip for beachfront property! Mr.Bee Apr 25 #29
Election interfearance IbogaProject Apr 25 #39
There's no evidence of that Wednesdays Apr 25 #18
no need to feel it quakerboy Apr 25 #19
You can almost count on it. Bev54 Apr 25 #20
It makes sense dlk Apr 25 #21
Right wing Accuracy in Media has been ratfucking 617Blue Apr 25 #22
I recall the largest Vietnam War protests at UCLA. SleeplessinSoCal Apr 25 #23
The fact that these pro-Hamas student orgs all opened in colleges in the past couple TBF Apr 25 #24
Great question!! I think there is foreign $ pushing all this domestic turmoil "movements" too FlyingPiggy Apr 25 #25
So does that mean all/most/much of what we see sarisataka Apr 25 #26
Good Question . . . Richard D Apr 25 #30
Anti-Israel stuff has been going on for a long time. LeftInTX Apr 25 #43
Definitely not all scipan Apr 25 #42
Many news reports and warnings from democracies around the world show foreign actors are actively interfering. summer_in_TX Apr 25 #27
Repubs hate both Muslims and Jews so they have no qualms about pushing either one against the other to make Biden look b keithbvadu2 Apr 25 #32
Wouldn't surprise me at all. Emile Apr 25 #33
Because it's true. n/t Coventina Apr 25 #34
Because you have common sense. republianmushroom Apr 25 #35
I met with a few friends in Washington over the course of the last week DFW Apr 25 #40
I'll go with "no proof" brooklynite Apr 25 #41
Conspiracy in plain sight? scipan Apr 25 #45
The protestors I have heard speak are not pro Hamas. Big Blue Marble Apr 25 #44

Irish_Dem

(47,436 posts)
1. High probability that this is the case.
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 08:26 AM
Apr 25

There are Russian fingerprints all over this from the beginning.

Hamas did not have the resources to pull off the invasion.
They were not capable of fooling the most power intel agencies on the planet,
the CIA and Mossad.

The obvious goal was to draw the US into another conflict.
To divide Biden's voting base.

It is Putin trying to interfere with the election and install Trump once again into the WH.

2naSalit

(86,798 posts)
3. I think...
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 08:32 AM
Apr 25

You are absolutely correct. I am more than simply thinking there are "influencers" specifically commissioned to disrupt any legitimate protest in order to foment hate and blame aimed at the legitimate protests and those protesting. It happens every time, the George Floyd protests, anti-wall street protests a few years back, you name it, if there are legitimate protests, these "agents provocateur" show up and try to flip the script. It;s been going on for decades.

I am sure that is the script for bibi in Gaza, a constant supply of excuses to continue the brutality against the Palestinians. It seems to work well for the bad guys, they always gain ground.

We need to be more aware of these actions that are now routine operations for the fascist movement and root them out of the mainstream if not eradicate them.

Mopar151

(9,999 posts)
28. During "Occupy" protests, they were referred to as the "blac bloc" "protestors"
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 11:17 AM
Apr 25

Currently, the term seems to be "accelerationists". They've been around since the '60's - anarchists, arsonists, semi-pro looters, cretinous punks and "police enthusiasts".

hlthe2b

(102,378 posts)
6. I agree. This suggestion has angered some on DU in recent weeks, but there clearly are FACTIONS
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 08:45 AM
Apr 25

within these protests and one or more of these subgroups are clearly far more extremist in their views and tactics. I suggested earlier that it would be useful for authorities to investigate what percentage were enrolled students in these protests--something I DO think they could do. My bet is the percentages of nonstudents are fairly high.

And the obvious antisemitic alignment for Putinistas, "Christian" Nationalists, Fascists, White Supremacists, and other extreme RW factions is well documented. For our own to put this all on "university indoctrination" as the RW wants to do is playing right into their hands.

I know it is difficult to be "clear-eyed" in this abysmal emotional time, but we HAVE to be.

LeftInTX

(25,558 posts)
38. Columbia is currently a "closed campus". They literally have locked gates.
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 12:48 PM
Apr 25

It's unusual for a university. I saw a video of when the cops were locking the gates and some outside protesters were trying to get in.
Much of the current protest footage is from outside the university. You will see tents if it is inside Columbia.

Cops are guarding the gates. They open them when they let groups of students in and then lock them.


?20231016113942

mopinko

(70,235 posts)
7. i think so too. on xitter, many have noticed the telltale signs- nice new tents, matching attire,
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 08:45 AM
Apr 25

professionally printed signs. there were a couple xits yesterday about some receipts, but i didnt see the ‘proof’.
and putler is the most likely suspect, but there r plenty of others.

Hope22

(1,864 posts)
8. Every protest I have gone to in DC...
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 08:47 AM
Apr 25

Every peace line I have stood on has been faced with those same accusations. 500k people stood on the Mall in DC to say NO to the Iraq troop surge. Guess what, we drove, flew, took the bus, took the subway on our own dollars. I’d bet my life that the majority of those young people are there of their own voice to say STOP THE MADNESS! To assume less is an insult to the majority of those young people!

lostnfound

(16,191 posts)
9. Agreed. It's a well-known method of destabilization. See "Kermit Roosevelt".
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 08:51 AM
Apr 25

The OSS (preceded the CIA) sent Kermit Roosevelt to overthrow the government of Iran. With suitcases full of cash, young men were bribed to create chaos in the streets and in public perception by going through public places yelling anti-mossadegh slogans, and other followed up yelling pro-mossadegh slogans. Editors (also bribed) published editorials on how mossadegh was losing control of crime and disruption.
https://www.npr.org/2013/09/01/217976304/declassified-documents-reveal-cia-role-in-1953-iranian-coup

Young CIA agents used suitcases full of cash to destabilize the regime. "They managed to buy newspaper editors, to buy hoodlums, they organized rallies in different cities, they created a fake communist party in order to create trouble," Bahari said. Still, they almost failed.

Kermit was “told” (wink, wink, i suspect) to stop after the first attempt failed, but “on his own” he kept trying and succeeded in toppling Mossadegh.
Mossadegh’s crime was wanting to nationalize the oil industry.

Russia was funding BOTH sides of protests a few years ago, in Texas (and probably other places).

Botany

(70,588 posts)
12. Mossadegh's crime was to say that the oil under Iran belonged to the Iranian people
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 09:11 AM
Apr 25

B.P. and Royal Dutch Shell oil companies worked with the CIA to bring him down after that
and we and the world is still paying the price for that crap. See the Shaw, see the Ayatollah,
see the hostages, see the Iranian Revolutionary Guard who Btw used a Trump property to
launder their money, see supplying Russia with drones, see ….

Bristlecone

(10,133 posts)
10. When Ron Johnson heads to Columbia
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 08:54 AM
Apr 25

To seek its president’s resignation, you know it’s coordinated by the RW and by extension, foreign capital.

mn9driver

(4,428 posts)
11. Yup.
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 09:09 AM
Apr 25

I’m reminded of two people that I used to be friends with, one at each end of the political spectrum. Their online activity is now indistinguishable.

Both call the US and Israel monstrously evil. Both claim Ukraine is filled with Nazis. Both are looking forward to the collapse of Western Europe and the destruction of America.

And both of them have connections to Russia. Putin is definitely going for installing Trump as his pet President. Again.

Botany

(70,588 posts)
15. Putin's installation of Trump and many republicans in 2016 was part of the largest crime against
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 09:20 AM
Apr 25

….. America and the American People in history and that attack is still ongoing. Putin’s cyber
attacks on America is still ongoing now.

 

Earth-shine

(4,044 posts)
14. The Russians and other bad actors infliltrate social media pretending to be everyday citizens.
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 09:18 AM
Apr 25

And they stir up the shit, probably participating in organizing these rallies.

They are here on DU. The stupid ones get booted. The smarter ones stay among us.

Botany

(70,588 posts)
16. And the Russians work with the rich and right wing think tanks/media all the time. I have
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 09:26 AM
Apr 25

… a good friend who fell for their crap. Something called “the heterodox academy”.which
pushes the false narrative about it is both sides. I have always wondered just how deep
into Fox News they are?

IbogaProject

(2,841 posts)
17. Big money behind both of the PR campaigns
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 10:19 AM
Apr 25

I've suspected some dark mechanization behind the Oct 7 attack. Qtar supports Hamas and they were involved w sketchy payments to Jared Kushner.

IbogaProject

(2,841 posts)
39. Election interfearance
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 12:55 PM
Apr 25

I think Dark money is behind the attempt to blame Biden for the Gaza carnage. Personally I've come to love Biden and his administration. I wasn't a fan until he started being one of the best ever in office.

quakerboy

(13,921 posts)
19. no need to feel it
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 10:34 AM
Apr 25

There's plenty of reporting on Russian (and chinese) groups that are paid to radicalize online discussion of the events in Israel. Which way they push folks is situational, the point is to turn westerners against eachother as fervently as possible

617Blue

(1,281 posts)
22. Right wing Accuracy in Media has been ratfucking
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 10:38 AM
Apr 25

They doxed protesters in Cambridge MA and hired a plane to fan more flames.

The idea is to create an air of out of control chaos so we can turn to strong man Dump to quiet things down.

SleeplessinSoCal

(9,145 posts)
23. I recall the largest Vietnam War protests at UCLA.
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 10:40 AM
Apr 25

They were in the spring and one professor proposed the theory that much of the pressure of upcoming final exams was responsible for the protests.

It is spring....

TBF

(32,100 posts)
24. The fact that these pro-Hamas student orgs all opened in colleges in the past couple
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 10:45 AM
Apr 25

of years & were ready to go last October was highly suspicious. I wouldn't be surprised if Putin is funneling $$ in through Qatar/Iran to fund actions. I really don't trust that guy. I think he's perfectly capable of creating a lot of chaos in multiple ways in order to keep attention off his own actions (invading other countries).

Richard D

(8,775 posts)
30. Good Question . . .
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 11:26 AM
Apr 25

. . . I don't have the answer to that, but it would surprise me more if this were not so. For example, anti-Israel protests started before Israel went into Gaza, complete with high-quality memes and what seemed to be a well-thought-out plan. As I heard somewhere (sorry, no source): It's not a war between Israel and Gaza, but the United States against Iran. I would change Iran to Russia.

LeftInTX

(25,558 posts)
43. Anti-Israel stuff has been going on for a long time.
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 02:12 PM
Apr 25

It started in the 60's with the fringe group Nation of Islam and has been growing.

There have been large anti-Israel groups in the US for decades. Black bloc. Even Occupy Wall Street has anti-Israel and anti-Semitic protesters.

There is also Party of Socialism and Liberation. They have zillions of signs at their disposal. The day after Oct 7, I noticed that many of the signs were printed by them. (They very are active where I live) They are communist and supporters Russia. They had signs ready to go. They had them at the MLK March here in San Antonio in January 2023.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_for_Socialism_and_Liberation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.N.S.W.E.R.

ANSWER placard is visible at this December 12, 2017 pro-Palestine rally in San Francisco



The organization's national headquarters are in Washington, D.C. ANSWER has been closely tied to the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) throughout its existence; PSL co-founder Brian Becker is ANSWER's National Coordinator.[4] ANSWER has faced criticism from other anti-war groups for its affiliations, tactics at demonstrations, and allegedly sectarian approach to joint anti-war work. It also faced criticism from various sources for its claimed anti-Zionist politics.

These groups sprung up during the Iraq War.

There is also billionaire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neville_Roy_Singham who is married to the head of Code Pink.



Oct 7 simply lit a fuse.

I saw a video of a Zoom with Columbia students and a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS
Back to list icon
POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE (PFLP
)
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) is a terrorist group based in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. It combines Arab nationalism with Marxist-Leninist ideology, viewing the destruction of Israel as integral to the struggle to remove Western capitalism from the Middle East and ultimately establish a Communist Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. The group was founded after the Six Day War in 1967, and it became the second largest faction and the main opposition force to Fatah in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1968. https://www.dni.gov/nctc/ftos/pflp_fto.html

Sanctioned anti-Israel groups hold Columbia University event as students suspended
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-795533

&ab_channel=StuStuStudio


https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2024/04/17/universitys-treatment-of-student-sponsored-speakers-sparks-debate-on-free-speech-principles/

_________________

The world is a very small place these days. It also doesn't take much money to support protesters. All it takes is a phone, Zoom and a few bucks to print to posters. (PSL and ANSWER posters are all in B&W)

scipan

(2,359 posts)
42. Definitely not all
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 02:10 PM
Apr 25

There's enough for people to be justified in their anger. But these protests sprang up within 2-4 days of 10/7, seemingly fully formed. There was one in DC that same weekend, for example.

I personally think it's some/most/all of the organizers. Not necessarily right wing either, but extreme left wing or in it for money.

They are very well organized.

summer_in_TX

(2,754 posts)
27. Many news reports and warnings from democracies around the world show foreign actors are actively interfering.
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 10:55 AM
Apr 25

I went back to look at older headlines. Australia, European nations, Indonesia, Canada, and the US are just some of the targets who are seeing the telltale signs of efforts to disrupt and exacerbate divisions.

All media are potential purveyors and commercial media (especially the right wing ones) are certainly boosting the messages. But it's he explosion of social media that completely bypasses gatekeepers (legacy media owners) and makes it so incredibly prolific.

Mis- and dis-information is happening at too great a volume for fact-checkers to counter it. It takes time and by the time they've proven it's a lie, there are newer ones. The audience that heard the lie may never hear the fact-checked truth. Pre-bunking appears to be the best tool to get ahead of the flood.

The League of Women Voters of Maine and Alaska put on a webinar this week that I attended by Zoom. The misinformation expert who presented was with Google's Jigsaw project. An excellent and informative webinar.

keithbvadu2

(36,923 posts)
32. Repubs hate both Muslims and Jews so they have no qualms about pushing either one against the other to make Biden look b
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 12:02 PM
Apr 25

Repubs hate both Muslims and Jews so they have no qualms about pushing either one against the other to make Biden look bad.

DFW

(54,443 posts)
40. I met with a few friends in Washington over the course of the last week
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 01:42 PM
Apr 25

Some are in Congress, some are not, but suffice it to say you are not alone in that opinion. Although none would reveal their sources, I'm sure their sources are quite a bit more solid than any of my own (who also side with you).

Calm--bad, chaos--good. That seems to be the guiding principle of the funding. Take that for what you will, as yelling "LINK!" will not bear any fruit in this case.

brooklynite

(94,739 posts)
41. I'll go with "no proof"
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 02:08 PM
Apr 25

Too many people start with "of course they would" and don't think through how difficult it would be to carry out a conspiracy and hide it at the same time.

scipan

(2,359 posts)
45. Conspiracy in plain sight?
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 02:37 PM
Apr 25
Six Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate[132][133][134] have alleged ties between the CAIR founders and Hamas. Both cofounder Omar Ahmad and Awad were involved previously with the Islamic Association of Palestine (IAP),[135][136] a group described by the FBI, in 1993, as "intimately tied to the most senior Hamas leadership",[137] and participated in a meeting held in Philadelphia on October 3, 1993, with Hamas sympathizers and officials of the Holy Land Foundation (which was designated in 1995 by Executive Order[citation needed] and later designated in a 2008 court case, as an organization that had raised millions of dollars for Hamas).[138][139] Based on electronic surveillance of the meeting, the FBI reported that "these participants took great pains to disguise their association with Hamas ... referring to it simply as 'The Movement'."[140][141]


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_on_American%E2%80%93Islamic_Relations

CAIR has been one of the sponsors of protests since 10/7. It was listed on a call for a rally (saw it on DU and Twitter).

Big Blue Marble

(5,150 posts)
44. The protestors I have heard speak are not pro Hamas.
Thu Apr 25, 2024, 02:24 PM
Apr 25

They are against slaughtering and starving children. And a significant
number are young American Jews; surely you do not think they are pro
Hamas.

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