Utah Radical Leftist Groups Provide "Armed Defense" for Pro-Palestine Events
A new report by the Center for Security Policy exposes Utah’s radical leftist networks that celebrated Charlie Kirk’s assassination and coordinated armed support for pro-Palestine demonstrations
A new report from Morgan Wirthlin and published the Center for Security Policy reveals that radical leftist networks in Utah that celebrated the assassination of Charlie Kirk have also been providing “armed defense” for pro-Palestine events while promoting Palestinian terrorist propaganda.
According to Wirthlin’s findings, the group Armed Queers SLC promoted terrorist propaganda through materials like a zine that quotes Leila Khaled, stating “No liberation is achieved without resistance.” Khaled is a member of the U.S.-designated terror group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), who hijacked two civilian passenger planes.
“Armed Defense” at Pro-Palestine Events
The report’s findings reveal that Armed Queers SLC, founded by Ermiya Fanaeian, has provided “armed defense” for various pro-Palestine events, including Palestinian rallies, a drag fundraiser for Palestine, and a vigil for Aaron Bushnell, the former U.S. servicemen who self-immolated in protest of Israel’s war in Gaza against Hamas. On January 15, 2025, Armed Queers collaborated with pro-Palestine organizations including Healthcare Workers for Palestine and Utah City and Arabs in Utah, to celebrate the temporary ceasefire in Gaza, demonstrating the interconnected nature of these radical networks.
Celebration of Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
The report documents disturbing celebrations of Charlie Kirk’s murder by accounts affiliated with these radical leftist networks. Following Charlie Kirk’s murder, several Utah-based radical leftist social media accounts posted a video showing Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Senator Mike Lee, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with their eyes crossed out. The video was accompanied by “Bella Ciao,” an antifascist song whose title was engraved on a bullet casing found in the rifle used to kill Kirk.
Ties Between Armed Queers and Foreign-Funded Activist Network
Wirthlin traces connections between Utah’s radical networks and national organizations such as The People’s Forum, ANSWER Coalition, and Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL). Jewish Onliner previously reported how these same organizations function as part of a larger network funded by Neville Roy Singham, an American businessman based in Shanghai with documented ties to Chinese Communist Party officials. All of these organizations promote pro-Palestine activism and terrorist propaganda.
In addition to his work with Armed Queers, Fanaeian co-founded a PSL “student study group” at the University of Utah in 2022, leading multiple protests and teaching a Revolutionary Education Workshop at the Salt Lake Liberation Center, a “community organizing hub” shared by the ANSWER Coalition and Salt Lake PSL.
In July 2022, Fanaeian was pictured at The People’s Forum in New York, a self-described “movement incubator for working class and marginalized communities” linked to ANSWER, the PSL, and the International People’s Assembly. The People’s Forum, led by Manolo de los Santos, operates as the fiscal sponsor for the Venceremos Brigade, one of several Cuban government-sponsored “brigade” trips to the island.
Alleged Cuban Intelligence Ties to Radical Leftist Networks
Wirthlin raises particular concerns about the National Network on Cuba (NNOC) and its direct collaboration with the Cuban government’s ICAP (Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples), alleged to be an arm of Cuban intelligence. The report notes “the increasingly violent trajectory of other individuals who have passed through the May Day Brigade/NNOC program,” adding that Armed Queers, a member organization of the NNOC, exemplifies the network’s radical affiliations.
Coordinated Response After Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
The Center for Security Policy has tracked these radical leftist networks since 2022, noting significant overlap between individuals and organizations. Wirthlin documents how many groups began deleting social media profiles following Kirk’s assassination, suggesting coordinated efforts to avoid scrutiny of both their celebration of the murder and their promotion of Palestinian terrorist propaganda.
According to the report’s analysis, these radical leftist networks operate through horizontal organizational structures built around “affinity groups,” a model that makes them difficult to monitor or infiltrate. The report warns that definitive conclusions cannot be drawn solely from online sources, as underground affinity groups are designed for secrecy and social media represents only the image organizations wish to project publicly.