Karen Olivo (also known as KO), an acclaimed figure in theatre, has taken her influence in the arts and redirected it toward amplifying extremist narratives, spreading disinformation, and legitimizing radical anti-Israel rhetoric. While presenting herself as a humanitarian voice, Olivo has aligned with organizations and movements that justify violence, undermine Jewish safety on campus, and vilify Israel using the language of genocide and apartheid.

Normalizing Antisemitic Tropes Through Art and Activism

• KO has publicly embraced pro-Palestinian radicalism, sharing propaganda and amplifying slogans tied to terrorist movements through symbolic language such as the watermelon emoji—a known emblem of anti-Israel defiance.

• Her Instagram bio includes a link to Operation Olive Branch, a campaign connected with political activism framed as humanitarian aid, used by many to funnel support into pro-Hamas narratives.

Signing onto Extremism

Karen Olivo has attached her name to multiple radical faculty petitions, including:

• A letter from Theatre Workers for a Ceasefire that:

  • Accuses Israel of genocide

  • Demands an end to U.S. aid to Israel

  • Calls for the dismantling of Israel’s presence across Gaza, the West Bank, and “historic Palestine”—a veiled call for Israel’s eradication

  • Demands the “Right of Return”, a maximalist position that would effectively dissolve the Jewish state

• A statement opposing law enforcement intervention during student encampments, despite clear evidence that these protests harbored antisemitic imagery, threats, and campus disruption.

Promoting Radical Student Movements

• On social media, Olivo has tagged and promoted extremist campus groups like:

  • Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) – known for glorifying terrorism and harassing Jewish students

  • NU Divestment Coalition – a central actor in pushing Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) on campus

• She participated in NU Educators for Justice in Palestine, a group dedicated to defending student extremists and delegitimizing Israel through coordinated messaging.

Disseminating Disinformation

• KO’s only visible Instagram post is a video clip of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ interview on Democracy Now, where he compares Israel to apartheid South Africa and repeats inflated Gaza casualty numbers cited by Hamas’s health ministry—a body with a known record of distorting facts for propaganda.

Why Karen Olivo Is Dangerous

• She lends academic legitimacy to antisemitic and anti-Israel campaigns.
• She promotes radical groups that actively destabilize campus environments.
• She signs onto open calls for political warfare against Israel under the banner of the arts.
• She refuses to condemn Hamas violence while focusing solely on vilifying Israel.

Karen Olivo’s actions are not passive expressions of political opinion. They are active endorsements of a radical, one-sided agenda that endangers Jewish students, distorts the mission of education, and turns Northwestern’s artistic spaces into platforms for division and hate.

This is not activism—it’s extremism in a velvet glove.