The Democratic Party establishment appears to be losing control over a new generation of far-left student protesters supporting groups like Hamas.
Key Points
- Protesters at several universities have staged “occupations” and tent encampments
- They are expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and the Hamas militant group
- Campus administrations are struggling to get the protesters to disband
- Some see this new activist movement as a threat to Democrats and Biden’s re-election hopes
Why is this happening?
Many of these young protesters consider people like George Floyd to be heroes. They view America as a racist, unjust country. Fueled by this belief, they are feeling emboldened to push radical views. And they think liberal university leaders will protect them from consequences.
Campus Chaos
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One protester explained: “That deadline came and went. Hours later, the university said they made enough progress to where they could push back that deadline.”
Other chaotic scenes have played out. At one protest, a student was arrested but then quickly released after demonstrators surrounded the police car, shouting “Let him go!”
Who Are These Protesters?
According to political commentator Laura Ingraham, some of the protesters don’t even understand who or what Hamas is – they’re just supporting the cause because it’s trendy. Others harbor deep anti-Semitic views.
Ingraham believes many are simply “bored” young people desperate to find purpose, boyfriends/girlfriends, or meaning in their lives. She called them “entitled kids, poorly raised” who can afford to skip classes because they have family money.
The commentator argues most hardworking students cannot afford this “nonsense” of protesting instead of studying.
Growing Threat to Democrats?
While the Democrats previously viewed these activists as useful for generating enthusiasm and intimidating Republicans, Ingraham thinks they’ve now lost control over a force that could backfire.
She warns the protesters plan to disrupt the 2024 Democratic convention. A few nights of riots like 1968, she argues, could sink Biden’s re-election chances by alienating middle America and reinforcing views that Democrats are “anti-American and anti-Semitic extremists.”
Ingraham predicts Biden’s team will urge protesters to halt disruptive actions to avoid benefitting Donald Trump. However, she doubts the liberal politicians running Chicago and Illinois have the will to forcefully stop the activists through policing.
The Real Motivation?
According to Ingraham, Democrats like Biden and others don’t actually believe America is systemically racist or Trump is a dictator. She claims their inflammatory rhetoric is simply “performance art” to attract the protesters’ energy for gaining power and stopping Trump’s populist movement.
But now, the pundit argues, this strategy could implode. Suburban mothers who wanted Biden to bring back “normalcy” may instead see chaos, conclude Trump isn’t the core problem, and reject Democrats in favor of restoring order.
Looking Ahead
Will this youth activist movement fizzle out? Or will it grow into a force that Democrats can’t control, ultimately undermining their own re-election efforts?
Only time will tell how this campus chaos episode ultimately plays out. But the fracturing relationship between the party establishment and its farthest left-wing base is certainly one to watch closely.
