Mark Bray, an assistant professor of history at Rutgers University, is fleeing to Spain with his family after receiving death threats sparked by a campaign from the campus chapter of Turning Point USA and other conservative groups to have him fired. Bray, falsely labeled as a member of antifa, stated he has no affiliation with any such group. He authored “Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook,” which discusses the philosophy of anti-fascist movements.
Bray moved his three classes online after receiving a death threat and the university was made aware of a petition circulated by Turning Point USA calling for his ouster. This petition mischaracterized him as “Dr. Antifa” and claimed he poses a danger to conservative students. While the Turning Point chapter expressed their concerns about his teachings, they also stated they do not support harassment or doxing.
Bray has faced public scrutiny before, particularly for past comments where he justified violent self-defense against extreme political groups. He argues that the current situation reflects a broader attempt to suppress discourse on college campuses, exacerbated by the Trump administration’s actions to conflate protest with terrorism.
Bray plans to teach remotely while in Spain and hopes to return to campus next fall after what he described as manufactured outrage designed to stigmatize protests.
