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The history of ‘outside agitators’ — from Gaza protests to Martin Luther King Jr.

Police take demonstrators into custody on the campus of the Art Institute of Chicago after students established a protest encampment on the grounds on May 4.

The term “outside agitator” has staying power.

It’s been used against protestors throughout history, from the Civil Rights Movement, to the anti-Vietnam War protests and now during the pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses.

“Outside agitator” was also used to describe some of the people who protested the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri In 2014.

Who exactly are the “outside agitators” and what purpose does it serve to call them out?

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(Image credit: Scott Olson)

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