Nouri Mehdizadeh
Persian Jew in Southern California
Footage from before and after the attacks show Medizadeh was a constant presence on the periphery of the protest encampment. According to the email from student activists, Mehdizadeh “was involved in planning violence continuously” and UCLA officials were likewise “warned about him continuously.” The email’s author suggested Mehdizadeh’s actions would constitute hate crimes, given that he “referenced a desire to attack those who were not his “Jewish brothers.” A photo of Mehdizadeh taken shortly before the violence erupted indicates he had foreknowledge of the assault and may have helped organize the attack
Later that evening, a masked Mehdizadeh was recorded attempting to destroy barricades while a compatriot with a speaker blasted “Mani Mantera,” a Hebrew-language children’s song that Israeli soldiers have played while torturing and/or taunting captive Palestinians on camera. Despite getting caught red-handed by several security officers — and despite nearly getting into a fistfight with another guard in a separate incident — Mehdizadeh was allowed to remain in the area.