Michael Moore Declares ‘You Have to Take Over Buildings’ During Campus Protests: ‘If You Haven’t Started an Encampment at Your College, Do It!’

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Michael Moore threw his full support behind protesters who recently took over a Columbia University administrative building and encouraged more of it.

On the latest episode of his Rumble podcast, Moore and his crew spoke with pro-Palestinian demonstrators who have taken part in protests in New York. Police action has been taken in New York and other states to break up encampments set up by students on campuses to demand their schools divest from Israel and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. At Columbia University, activists took over an administrative building for days until police responded and breached the building.

Moore argued people have the “right” to take over buildings as long as violence isn’t involved, arguing union workers have taken such actions in the past.

“You have to take over buildings. That is not violence,” he said, adding later, “I hope it continues. I applaud every student who has taken a stand at their campus, at graduation, whatever. This is the purpose of a democracy.”

The filmmaker blasted New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) and his claim that “outside agitators” were behind rising tensions at protests. He has not said how many of the hundreds arrested were “outside agitators.” Moore called the term a “joke.”

“There’s no such thing as an outside agitator because these schools live in the communities. They exist in the communities. They participate in the communities,” he claimed.

One activist told Moore’s podcast the purpose of the protests and encampments is “disruption.”

“There’s the misconception that we’re disrupting. That’s the point. We’re here to disrupt. Like, thank you for saying we’re disrupting because that’s the truth. We’re here to disrupt your daily lives. We’re here to show you the urgency,” the protester said.

Moore also continued his vocal criticism of President Joe Biden and his support of Israel amid their strikes on Gaza. Moore has told the president he will lose to Donald Trump in November if he does not change his Israel policy, and he previously helped organize a protest vote in the Michigan Democratic primary. Biden easily won in the battleground state, but more than 100,000 voted “uncommitted” as others have done in other swing states.

He argued the president “doesn’t seem to have a clue in his head” about the damage he’s causing. The president has raised concerns about civilian deaths in Gaza, but has continued to support Israel’s mission to wipe out Hamas. Thousands of civilians have died in Gaza and Israel has said their strikes will continue until Hamas is eliminated.

Moore encouraged more encampments to protest Israel’s strikes going forward.

“If you haven’t started an encampment at your college, do it!” he said. “Take a stand.”