These activists aren't just random activists looking to be a part of something bigger than themselves; they’re die-hards who see themselves as martyrs
Anti-Israel protesters disrupt Golden Gate Bridge traffic
California authorities are seen taking people into custody as anti-Israel protesters disrupted traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge. (Credit: KTVU)
Radical left activists are back at it with a tactic that feels like déjà vu. These weren’t your peaceful protesters rallying on Monday in solidarity with Palestinians; these are disruptors who view chaos as a stepping stone to their anti-capitalist utopia. They’re just pretending to care about what happens in Gaza. It's crucial that city leaders step up now. If they don't, we're not just looking at a repeat of past disruptions—we're staring down a potentially more vicious wave of activism that threatens our economy.
From the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, activists snarled traffic, creating a hellish commute for people just trying to get home or to work. Passengers likely missed flights out of Sea-Tac airport in Seattle and Chicago O'Hare International Airport thanks to activists blocking the roads in.
The methods are right out of an anarchist's handbook. "Sleeping dragon" tactics, where protesters handcuff themselves together inside PVC pipes, make it a logistical nightmare for police to intervene. Some even go as far as chaining themselves to barrels filled with concrete or using their vehicles to clog the roads.
Why are we seeing this surge in direct action? Well, they've seen it work.
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The anti-police violence during the peak of the Black Lives Matter movement got them the headlines and chaos they desired. And without significant consequences, why stop? Take Seattle’s I-5 freeway takeover on January 6—months later, those identified haven't even faced charges.
Monday’s activists will get off with a slap on the wrist like a fine, and at worst, some restorative justice program that barely registers as punishment.
These activists aren't just random activists looking to be a part of something bigger than themselves; they’re die-hards who see themselves as martyrs in a war not against "oppression" in Gaza, but against capitalism itself. Despite the banners of "Free Palestine" and slogans against genocide, their real battle is with the economic system they despise.
I know these people. I could write the script for how the next several weeks to months will unfold.
In my new book, "What’s Killing America: Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of Our Cities," I detail my experiences infiltrating Antifa direct action. I know how they think, organize, operate, and act. Monday’s activism was an extension of what we saw after the death of George Floyd. Only they might not waste as much time, learning from some of their mistakes in 2020 and 2021.
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Initially, BLM protests were largely peaceful, but then came Antifa, escalating to riots and taking over parts of Seattle and Portland. They burned buildings in Minneapolis, and helped create a looters paradises in New York and Chicago. Today, some of the same figures behind those riots are blocking roads, ostensibly under the banner of Palestinian support but really aiming to inflict economic pain as a form of protest against capitalism.
The newly-formed A15 Economic Blockade group makes no secret of their goals. Their website explicitly targets the "global economy" that they claim is "complicit in genocide." They’re not just aiming to disrupt; they want to inflict pain by "blocking the arteries of capitalism and jamming the wheels of production." Their actions aren’t about aiding Palestinians or any other oppressed group; they aim to hammer at the foundations of a system they believe is fundamentally corrupt: capitalism.
"There is a sense in the streets in this recent and unprecedented movement for Palestine that escalation has become necessary: there is a need to shift from symbolic actions to those that cause pain to the economy," the website says.
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Though elements of the activists are very obviously antisemitic, much anger is generated by Israel’s embrace of capitalism.
Israel’s capitalist economy is robust thanks, in large part, to significant technical advancements and a strong entrepreneurial spirit. The country epitomizes the very economic system activists oppose because they believe it exacerbates disparities between the wealthy and the poor, both within its borders and in its dealings with Palestinians. It doesn’t matter that they’re siding with Hamas in this war; their hatred of capitalism is so intense they can convince themselves there’s nothing wrong with a terrorist group that subjugates women and throws gays from rooftops.
Coordinated protests like those witnessed on Monday can galvanize people to join the cause. Similar to how gangs recruit vulnerable youth from broken homes, these activists target disenchanted young Americans—whether they're underemployed as baristas or disillusioned with corporate life. These individuals can become radicalized, swayed to contribute to the chaos unfolding on our streets. And we know what happens when we let it get out of hand.
When law enforcement finally acted against Antifa, driven in part by a public that was getting tired of the violence, the violence came to an end. But the activists hadn’t dismantled the biggest "system of oppression" as they had hoped. They’ve been biding their time until there was another massive movement that they could exploit or infiltrate. Who knew it would be Hamas terrorists that would reignite their activism?
So, what’s next? Unless city leaders take a firmer stance against these disruptions, expect things to escalate. We’re not just dealing with a protest; it’s an all-out assault on the structure of society by those who believe they have nothing to lose.
If left unchecked, this movement could morph into something even more dangerous than what we witnessed with Antifa and BLM. The time for half-measures is over. It’s time to confront these tactics head-on and restore order, for everyone's sake.
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Jason Rantz, author of "What’s Killing America: Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of Our Cities," is a Seattle-based talk show host on KTTH Radio. Follow him on Twitter @JasonRantz.
