A Rutgers University professor teaching a course on anti-fascism was prevented from leaving the United States for Spain on Wednesday night, according to media reports, hours after Donald Trump hosted a White House roundtable highlighting the impact of far-left antifa – or “anti-fascist” – activists.
Mark Bray, a historian who published the book Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook in 2017 and who has taught courses on anti-fascism at the University of New Jersey, was trying to board a plane at Newark Airport bound for Europe when he was informed at the gate that reservations for him and his family had been cancelled.
The professor, nicknamed “Dr. Antifa” by a group of students, had said he was moving to Europe after receiving death threats. Turning Point USA activists have claimed that it is a “funder” of the left-wing movement.
Related: Kristi Noem compares Antifa to MS-13, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic State
“‘Someone’ canceled my family’s flight out of the country at the last second,” Bray posted on Bluesky’s social media feed. “We received our boarding passes. We checked our bags. We went through security. Then, at our gate, our reservation ‘disappeared.'”
In the weeks following the murder of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, a petition calling for his expulsion from the university was launched and Bray’s address was revealed on social media.
One threat included a promise to kill him in front of his students, according to the Washington Post. The threats led Bray to decide to move to Spain with his wife and two children and continue teaching his students remotely.
“Since my family and I do not feel safe in our home at this time, we will be moving during the year to Europe,” Bray said in an email to students on Sunday. “The truth is that I am very discouraged that I will not be able to spend time with all of you in the classroom.”
Bray told the New York Times earlier on Wednesday that “my role in this is as a professor. I have never been part of an antifa group, and I am not currently.” But he added that “there is an effort underway to present myself as someone who does the things I have researched, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Bray told the outlet that the family was rebooked for Thursday night, but they didn’t know why the previous reservation had been cancelled. “It may seem conspiratorial, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” he said. “We’re in a hotel and we’re going to try again.”
After Kirk’s murder, right-wing influencer Jack Posobiec called Bray a “domestic terrorist professor” on
The Rutgers chapter of Turning Point USA has said it does not support bullying or doxing, but Bray is on a list of academics the group identifies as promoting leftist propaganda in classrooms.
“Do you want to become a socialist? If so, be sure to visit this professor!!! All joking aside, help us report this professor who has ties to Antifa, which is now designated as a domestic terrorist organization,” the Rutgers chapter posted on Instagram several days ago.
In a statement, Rutgers said it did not comment on matters of staff or student conduct.
“Rutgers University is committed to providing a safe environment – for learning, teaching, working and research – where all members of our community can share their opinions without fear of intimidation or harassment,” he added.
The best public interest journalism is based on first-hand accounts from people who know.
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