Queens College assistant professor Walter Lucken IV has been identified as a leader in the Democratic Socialists of America's (DSA) Red Rabbits Security Commission, an organization focused on preparing members for potential confrontations with law enforcement and federal agents. Lucken, who earns $105,000 annually as a taxpayer-funded educator, reportedly led a training session in New York City this week.
During the workshop, held at the DSA's Lower East Side headquarters, Lucken, 35, instructed attendees on methods to avoid legal repercussions and interact with police. He drew on his experiences from Detroit, contrasting it with New York's legal framework where individuals have the right to remain silent when questioned by law enforcement. "Play to their love of hierarchy… act confident even when feeding misinformation…police will sometimes let you do things that are not technically legal," Lucken was quoted as saying.
Lucken, whose academic specialization includes "public rhetorics of state violence, incarceration and higher education," joined the DSA after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. He sought to downplay the significance of arrest, suggesting that a disorderly conduct charge would not appear on a job background check. "The state relies on the mystique surrounding the arrest process to keep us in a state of fearful inaction," he stated, aiming to counter what he described as the deterrent effect of potential arrests.
The training also covered operational security, advising members to use encrypted messaging apps with disappearing messages, disable phone features like fingerprint, facial recognition, and location tracking, and to destroy documents. Participants were also reportedly discouraged from obtaining permits for demonstrations.
The Red Rabbits Security Commission, established at the previous national DSA convention, has as its stated goal preparing for a "national uprising against federal agents and police brutality." Reports indicate that Red Rabbit "self-defense" trainings in other cities have included instruction on blocking intersections, using items like umbrellas and pepper spray in confrontations, and firearm safety.
The group has experienced internal controversies, including an unsuccessful attempt to remove an organizer who has expressed support for damaging property as a political act. According to CUNY's online schedule, Lucken is slated to teach "Writing about Writing" in the English Department next fall. CUNY and Lucken did not respond to requests for comment.