Two California professors have faced backlash for public statements that critics say incite violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and urge students to prepare for conflict. Melina Abdullah, a professor of Pan-African studies at Cal State LA, and Butch Ware, an associate professor of history at UC Santa Barbara, made remarks at recent public forums that have drawn sharp criticism from political figures and organizations.
Abdullah spoke at the La Defensa del Pueblo Summit on Sunday, where she reportedly identified an ICE agent by name and provided the address of his hotel, encouraging the audience to "f--k him up." During the same segment, she discussed "guerrilla warfare" tactics and recommended a book by George Jackson, co-founder of the Black Guerrilla Family, a group associated with the Black Panthers.
Abdullah's comments have prompted calls for federal charges, with some characterizing her statements as terroristic threats. Article III Project founder Mike Davis stated, "This woman must face federal charges." New York City councilwoman Vickie Paladino echoed this sentiment, writing on X, "Terroristic threats against a federal officer. If this animal isn’t in federal custody by the end of the week I don’t even know what we’re doing here." The Los Angeles assistant attorney’s office has indicated it is reviewing whether any laws were breached by Abdullah's remarks, though it has not confirmed an investigation.
A day prior to Abdullah's speech, Ware reportedly spoke at the Marxism Conference in Chicago. He allegedly bragged about his familiarity with firearms and told attendees to "get ready for war." According to reports, Ware stated, "You are ready for a war in the streets. No, you ain’t. Y’all ain’t nowhere near ready for a war in the streets. You better get ready for both kinds of war, and if you stay ready, you ain’t got to get ready."
Ware, who has identified himself as a "historian of Africa and Islam," also reportedly called for the "destruction" of Democrats and suggested that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed were acting to "contain radicalism."