What started as routine student protests in April quickly turned into a battle for the UCLA campus — and the Daily Caller’s investigative reporters were on the ground to document it all.
We’ve had a familiar image of college protests since the 1960s: bright young students become activists after being radicalized by leftist ideologies on campus. They gather, camp out, take over buildings, make silly demands of their college administrators, and sometimes turn violent — but they always go back to class at the end.
The Daily Caller’s new documentary, “Anarchy U,” captured this all in real time as it unfolded on UCLA’s campus in April: the violence, the building takeovers, the construction and destruction of the encampment, and the power struggle between might, right and the law.
We discovered that these are not your parents’ college activists. They’re a whole different breed of radical. And going back to class is the last thing on their minds.
“Anarchy U” is available exclusively to Patriots members. Catch an exclusive first glimpse below.
Investigative reporter Cam Higby exposed the protests for exactly what they are, as he infiltrated the so-called “Student Intifada Encampment” on UCLA’s campus. But the radicals taking over campus were made up of more than just tuition-paying students.
“There were definitely people inside of the encampments that were not students or faculty or members of the community,” Higby explained.
“About 50% were around college age at least, and then 50% were probably outside of college age at all of the encampments.”
“It kind of just pokes a hole in the whole idea of the “‘student protest,'” he concluded.
So who are these outside agitators?
First, Higby clashed with the “designated media liaisons,” brought in to control the flow of information in and out of the first encampment, a barricaded area within the UCLA campus quad. They knew how to differentiate friendly and “hostile” media, and clearly weren’t first-year journalism students.
Additionally, the organizers made sure the encampment was stocked up for the long haul.
“Inside the encampment . . . they had like tens of thousands of dollars — at least — worth of food, water, feminine products, tooth brushes and toothpaste, deodorant, hygiene stuff,” Higby noted.
“Hey, who’s funding this?” he asked one of the organizers before being thrown out of the barricade.
Then you had the security forces to do the heavy lifting.
A private security firm called CSC “patrolled” the barricades, working to funnel observers into the designated media checkpoints and ensuring the protesters maintained control of the situation. CSC is a well-known firm “hired out by lots of colleges,” Higby explained, but they were “for sure protecting the encampment under orders of the university.
“It’s a public campus,” Higby protests as security physically drags him away from the encampment while allowing other friendly media through.
“OK, good for you,” security dismissively responded.
Things came to a head around 11 p.m. that night, when counter-protesters decided they had enough of outside activists terrorizing their campus and restricting the flow of movement.
They sought to tear down the encampment, and those inside reacted with violence. Metal poles from the barricades got turned into weapons. They were ready with bear mace to defend their territory.
“There’s blood being drawn,” Higby told police. “They are down there with weapons, stabbing each other.”
“LAPD came and they left,” he explained
But the Los Angeles Police Department didn’t even show up until three hours later. They stood around for a moment and left shortly after, even as protesters tore each other apart.
We hear the term “campus protest” and think of student activists. We believe it’s all organic and well-intentioned. Sure, they’re spoiled, bored rich kids, but they’ll grow out of it. However, nothing could be farther from the truth.
“Student protests” today are filled with outside groups. Professional and often well-paid protesters come to campus and rile up students, organize and supply long-term protests, and strictly control the flow of people and information to coordinate their preferred narrative. The campus radicals of the 1960s didn’t grow up and become responsible adults. They infiltrated academia, bureaucracy and philanthropy establishments and created a whole new infrastructure for their radicalism — all to ensure the permanent revolution rolls on forever.
Watch “Anarchy U” today to learn more about all the outside groups organizing anti-Israel student protests, and how their goals extend well beyond campus.
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