West

Jewish student defies anti-Israel radicals who 'stalked' him on California campus: Won't be 'silenced'

Published

2 years ago

May 10, 2024

Jewish student defies anti-Israel radicals who 'stalked' him on California campus: Won't be 'silenced'

What was supposed to be a memorable day of taking photos at USC’s historical spots on campus soon spiraled into a Jewish graduate student confronting antisemitism head-on at the prestigious school that’s been rocked by anti-Israel radicals, the student recounted to Fox News Digital.

“I was walking around my campus to some of the more historic parts to get a good picture, and I was followed. Two individuals from that encampment, they stalked us, and they harassed us. They followed us for a good 20 minutes, maybe 30 minutes. Really wanted to come up to us to get in our faces,” graduate student Mark Rayant told Fox News Digital in an interview this month.

Rayant is graduating with a master’s degree this year, but like his fellow students, will not enjoy a full graduation ceremony due to the anti-Israel agitators that have run rampant on the school. USC was the first major university in the nation to cancel its main graduation ceremony due to radical protesters, which was soon followed by universities such as Emory and Columbia also canceling ceremonies.

Los Angeles police clad in riot gear flanked the campus this weekend, removing agitators from an anti-Israel encampment, where students and outside protesters demanded the school cut financial ties with Israel. A student-led group called the USC Divest from Death Coalition detailed a list of six demands, including “no policing on campus,” “full amnesty” for those associated with the school who are reprimanded for the protests, and ending study abroad programs in Israel.

USC STUDENT RECOUNTS DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER GRADUATION COMMENCEMENT WAS CANCELED DUE TO ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS

USC graduate student Mark Rayant standing next to school’s anti-Israel encampment. (Mark Rayant)

The removal of the encampment on Sunday was the second time police swept the campus and removed protesters since last month.

Graduation ceremonies, apart from the main ceremony, kick off this week, with Rayant explaining to Fox News Digital that he and a buddy recently decided to take graduation photos ahead of officially securing their diplomas.

“I came to campus to take some graduation photos for my family, you know, for the memories of it. And I came wearing a shirt that I got at one of the Jewish organizations, wearing the dog tags to represent the hostages that are still in captivity, many of them are American citizens,” Rayant said.

He then noticed a pair of anti-Israel agitators following him as he toured campus, he said.

USC graduate student Mark Rayant with anti-Israel agitator seen in background. (Mark Rayant)

“Their attempts are to bully us, to intimidate us, and to instill fear in us, to try to silence us. To try to make us disappear. But they won’t do it,” he continued.

ANTI-ISRAEL STUDENT PROTESTS THREATEN TO CANCEL GRADUATION CEREMONIES IN REPEAT OF COVID ERA

A USC student is arrested by campus police in USC Village during the anti-Israel protest on campus on Monday, May 6, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Rayant said he took matters into his own hands and confronted the agitators, describing that Jews on campus will not be “silenced” by radicals.

“I walked up to them. And I said, you know, ‘If you’re going to be brave, if you really want to follow me, why don’t you come and take a picture with me?’ I told them, I wasn’t afraid of them. I wasn’t going to let them intimidate us. Because we deserve to be here too. I’ve worked very hard at this institution, I worked extremely hard to give back to my community, to build organizations that help people in need, and I deserve to celebrate my graduation. Whether these bullies and these aggressors want to intimidate us out of our celebration or not, we deserve that,” he said.

USC VALEDICTORIAN WHO HAD SPEECH CANCELED ‘NOT APOLOGETIC,’ DEFENDS CALL TO ABOLISH ISRAEL IN ITS CURRENT FORM

Anti-Israel demonstrators take over Alumni Park at USC in Los Angeles on April 24, 2024. (Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)

The agitators, one of whom Rayant believes is a student, hung around for a little bit after they were confronted, he recounted. The graduate student and his friend then left the area and did not see the agitators again. Rayant said he plans to report the alleged student to campus officials.

‘SCREAMING AND CURSING’ ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS DESCEND ON SENATOR’S HOME MORE THAN A DOZEN TIMES

The engineering grad reflected on the Holocaust during his conversation with Fox News Digital, explaining that though his family members who survived the Holocaust have since passed, he speaks with another survivor amid the campus chaos.

“I’ve been very blessed as a part of my community to have contact with Holocaust survivors that are still alive today. Unfortunately, my grandparents have now passed. May their memories be a blessing. But I have a Holocaust survivor that I’m in constant contact with,” he said.

A demonstrator confronts a security officer during a protest on the University of Southern California campus. (Robert Hanashiro/USA Today)

Rayant said his mentor described that he’s never seen anything “on this level,” even when he was sent to Auschwitz.

“What he told me when I asked him… ‘Have you seen anything like this since you were a little boy, before you were taken to Auschwitz?’ And what he told me was, ‘In my lifetime, even when I was arrested and taken to Auschwitz, I never saw anything on this level. It was not this out in the open, because the Germans knew that Western society around them did not condone that type of behavior. And so they tried to be secretive about it. And they tried to cover it up, and the hatred was there, but it was less noticeable and in your face. This is different. You have people all across the world chanting for death, wishing death upon Jewish people and attacking them openly. You know, it’s on a scale that’s completely unprecedented,’” he continued.

Visitors are seen inside the former Auschwitz I camp in Oswiecim, Poland, on Jan. 27, 2023. (Artur Widak/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

USC SPARKS BACKLASH FOR CANCELING MAIN STAGE COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY: ‘CAVING TO CAMPUS TERRORISTS’

Rayant said students have been indoctrinated by “outside forces” with “radical” ideologies that have turned them against American values.

“These are people with Marxist ideology. They have Marxist values. They want to destroy and undermine, and watch our institutions burn. They want to see America crumble. They don’t like capitalism. They don’t like what America stands for, and they need to be stopped,” he said.

LAPD officers in riot gear exit USC after they cleared out a anti-Israel encampment on Sunday, May 5, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

USC’s main graduation ceremony began to unravel last month, when a student holding anti-Israel views was chosen as valedictorian, before the school pulled her speech, citing safety concerns. The student, who is Muslim, called for an end to Israel in social media posts and defended her views in a subsequent media interview.

NYPD RELEASE VIDEO SHOWING PROFESSIONAL ‘PROTEST CONSULTANT’ AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

“The biggest disappointment was actually hearing from the university that they canceled her, silenced her completely, and then, in essence, scapegoated the Jewish community. And that put a target on the back of every Jewish student at USC. And what came out of that was just an incredible wave of vile antisemitism all across the university. And it really just represented a catastrophic failure of leadership,” Rayant said.

Anti-Israel demonstrators rally in front of the University of Southern California campus, the day before commencement ceremonies are scheduled to begin, on May 7, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The main graduation was canceled days later, as protests on campus continued and critics accused the school of “caving to campus terrorists.” The canceled graduation marks the second time Rayant won’t don a cap and gown on stage, as his college graduation was held during the pandemic’s lockdown orders.

“If you are concerned about this, the way that I’m concerned about this: reach out to your representative, reach out to your congressperson, reach out to your mayor. Write to leaders at your university if you don’t agree with their way of handling this, condemning it. You know, pull your funding if you think that they’ve mishandled the situation. Now’s the time to speak out and show that we have a voice, because I think that these evil people, who are seeking to harass us and to destroy our democracy, I think they’re outnumbered,” Rayant said.

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San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Bay Ferry fleet brings back live music after 25 years

Published

2 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

San Francisco Bay Ferry fleet brings back live music after 25 years

SF Bay Ferry brings back live music after 25 years

the theme was tides and tunes on the San Francisco Bay Ferry on Friday night. The Richmond line commuters were serenaded with a free concert. It’s an experience other riders may not have to wait too long to enjoy.

SAN FRANCISCO – East Bay ferry commuters on Friday got some very special surprises during their evening commutes on one San Francisco Bay Ferry line. Soon, other commuters on other lines may get the same treatment.

Sweet, soothing music

Beyond the beautiful views and cocktails, folks who took the ferry between San Francisco and Richmond on Friday evening got an extra treat; something they haven’t done in more than two decades: live music.

Lolah, a San Jose solo artist and band member, sang songs for fans and Friday commuters to their surprise and delight. “I think it’s very entertaining after a long day at work, and it makes the ferry really enjoyable compared to BART,” said commuter John Schmidt.

Jess Jenkins read about it online. “It’s a little bit out of my way. Yeah, but I was excited to try and check out the live music on the ferry. I think making public transit attractive to use is like, yeah, great for everybody,” said Jenkins. “Fantastic. I mean this is the most beautiful city in the world, sunset, a little music. What more could you want in the world?” said passenger Josh Bamberger.

Commuter and artist Marco Sorenson sketched Lolah. “It’s great. This was a real surprise tonight, fascinating; on the boat anyway, so this adds a little extra,” said Sorenson.

The singer loves her art and audiences. It’s an opportunity for musicians like me because we want to go out there and share your work, your art. So you feed on the energy from the audience and the audience feeds from the energy from you,” said Lolah who books her gigs through Lolahentertainment.com.

Bay ferries had music before

Twenty-five years ago, before the dot-com crash, it was a spontaneous twice-a-month Friday event. “It was just a group of enthusiastic ferry riders from Oakland that put it all together. So, it gathered a following. People would come, get on the boat and just never get off the boat, just continuously two round trips, and we were grateful for it,” said three-year SF Bay Ferry Captain Tim Patrick.

Ultimately, it interfered with the evening commute. “And then we kind of put a stop to it because it became too successful,” said Caprain Patrick.

This time, SF Bay Ferry itself is sponsoring even to bolster ridership at commute time as well as on weekends. “We’re definitely kind of testing the waters, experimenting with what we’re able to do in a venue such as the ferries; beautiful and scenic,” said SF Bay Ferry spokesperson Teo Saragi.

What’s next:

On Friday, January 16, entertainment will be provided by a DJ between the city and Vallejo.

The Friday after, Lolah returns. “We’re also in the process of brainstorming potential trivia nights or comedy nights,” said spokesperson Saragi.

What was successful 25 years ago, could become successful again on a much bigger ferry system with a lot more lines, because people love live music, they love the ferries; throw in a cocktail and call it a party.

TransportationSan FranciscoRichmondNews

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Denver, CO

Broncos offensive line is the engine that drives offense

Published

2 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Broncos offensive line is the engine that drives offense

I’ve been covering the Denver Broncos for his entire career and I remember writing up some pretty harsh criticism of his play early on — especially in regards to holding penalties. I recall at one point he was committing holding penalties at a record-breaking rate. He was so far above the rest of the field that he’d break charts if anyone tried to chart it. The best part of that saga is that he never let the outside noise (from me and many others) get to him. He worked on his craft and he got better. And then got even better to the point where it is pretty clear that he is one of the best left tackles in all of football. He is going to go down as one of the best tackles in franchise history too when its all said and done. It’s a great comeback story.

All that said, he wasn’t the only one of the Broncos players on that offensive line to make an impact with guard Quinn Meinerz also being named a PFF All-Pro player. The whole offensive line has been dominant in nearly every category and is the main engine that has driven the offenses successes this season.

4) Denver Broncos
Team OLi Grade: 83.0
Best-Ranked OL: Garett Bolles, 89.0 (7th overall, 3rd position)
Worst-Ranked OL: Alex Palczewski, 63.5 (159th overall, 61st position)

And one more to complete the picture comes from Sharp Football Analysis who has the Broncos ranked fifth-overall in their NFL Offensive Line Stats:

There is so much evidence that shows the trenches on both side of the ball is what has brought the success of the 2025 Broncos. It’s an area that Sean Payton has said in the past is always an area of focus. He knows you don’t win consistently if your team is being dominated in the trenches.

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Seattle, WA

Here’s why the Blue Angels in Seattle on Monday

Published

2 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Here’s why the Blue Angels in Seattle on Monday

SEATTLE – Known for their high-flying skills above the skies during air shows, the Blue Angels will be in Seattle once again on Monday.

But with Seafair not until the summer, many are wondering why the Navy pilots are in the Emerald City ahead of schedule.

Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets are flying The Diamond Roll (four planes in formation), doing a 360-degree roll as one unit, flying at 400 mph over Lake Washington for the Seafair weekend in Seattle. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Keep reading to find out why the U.S. Navy Blue Angels are in Seattle on Jan. 12.

Why are the Blue Angels in Seattle now?

The Blue Angels returned to Seattle on Monday to begin preseason planning for the 2026 Boeing Seafair Air Show.

Pilots will assess airshow locations, scouting the skies and getting familiar with the landscape ahead of the Seafair Weekend Festival, when they perform in three separate air shows. Their visit brings the iconic Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornets to the city, the aircraft pilots use during the air show.

Blue Angels pilots plan to stay in Seattle until Tuesday, coordinating with Seafair event organizers. Last year, only two Blue Angels pilots were in Seattle for preseason planning, instead of the entire squadron.

When are the Blue Angels coming back to Seattle?

The Blue Angels will fly back to western Washington for the 2026 Boeing Seafair Air Show, on Friday, July 31 – Sunday, August 2, 2026.

They’ll also be in town for two practice runs on Thursday, July 30.

When is the 2026 Seafair Air Show?

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will perform in three air shows throughout Seafair weekend. They’re happening each afternoon on July 31 through Aug. 2 on Lake Washington and at Genesee Park.

The multi-day Seafair Weekend Festival also includes the Apollo Mechanical Cup Hydroplane Races, along with live entertainment, food and drinks, and family-friendly activities. Tickets for the festival go on sale in February.

Who are the Blue Angels?

The Blue Angels is a team of elite Navy flight demonstrators, showcasing their aviation skills in high-speed, precision aerobatic performances.

They perform in air shows across the U.S. each year, with the goal of inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country, displaying the teamwork and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps.

Formed in 1946, this year marks the 80th year of the Blue Angels. They take pride in performing for audiences both at home and abroad, showcasing the excitement, precision, and power of Naval aviation.

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The Source: Information in this story came from U.S. Navy Blue Angels, Seafair, and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.

SeattleSeafairNews

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