A new report reveals that the anti-Israel protesters who stormed Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall were encouraged by a radical activist group to emulate the violent Black Lives Matter riots of the summer of 2020. The People’s Forum, a nonprofit based in New York City, held a meeting where approximately 100 activists were stirred up by the organization’s executive director, Manolo De Los Santos, who had previously called for the destruction of Israel in a viral video. De Los Santos criticized Columbia’s administration as “Zionist” and urged the crowd to make it difficult for normal politics to occur in the country, referencing the violent riots that followed the police-involved killing of George Floyd.
The riots of the summer of 2020 caused over $400 million in damage nationwide, including vandalism and looting of businesses in New York City. Following the meeting at The People’s Forum, criminal protesters illegally raided the Manhattan campus building, breaking doors and windows and hanging a sign with the word “intifada” from a window. After Columbia President Minouche Shafik called the police, 44 individuals, including university staff members and outsiders, were arrested. Mayor Eric Adams noted that individuals unaffiliated with the university were involved in training students in unlawful protest tactics, leading to violent conduct.
The involvement of outside agitators in the anti-Israel protests, particularly since Hamas’ terror attack on Israel, has been noted by the NYPD and Mayor Adams. The People’s Forum, primarily funded by Neville Roy Singham, a donor to socialist causes, has been a key player in organizing these protests. Despite receiving donations through the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, the investment banking giant has distanced itself from The People’s Forum, emphasizing that contributions come from clients’ funds, not the bank itself. South Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres called on Goldman Sachs to sever ties with TPF after a video surfaced showing De Los Santos making inflammatory comments about Israel.
As a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, The People’s Forum could lose its charity status if found to have engaged in activities that violate laws or induce the commission of a crime. The organization did not respond to requests for comment. The involvement of outside groups and individuals in inciting and participating in violent protests at Columbia University highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the influence of radical activist groups in fueling unrest. In the aftermath of the protests, questions have been raised about accountability and oversight of nonprofit organizations that may be engaging in illegal activities or promoting violent ideologies.
