Forrest Osburn

On November 22, 2025, Osburn was listed on Instagram as a candidate at-large for DSA-LA's Left Coast Steering Committee.

Left Coast is a coalition and electoral slate within DSA-LA, which consists of organizers affiliated with the Socialist Majority Caucus who run collectively for leadership positions in chapter elections.

Osburn has been a DSA member since 2019. He was previously involved in tenant organizing with DSA's Stomp Out Slumlords campaign in the Washington, D.C. area.

In November 2026, Osburn wrote on the "2026 DSA-LA Leadership Elections" website: "Democratic Socialism means the working class taking power through elections, while going wherever the masses are, and governing all aspects of society (the workplace, your apartment complex, the people who decide the laws you follow) through democratic control. In practice, this means organizing workers and tenants to confront bosses and landlords. It means decommodifying essentials like housing, healthcare, transit, and energy. It means defeating austerity and police repression. It is a framework that fits our current material conditions and calls for a disciplined, mass politics-oriented organization that is hyper-focused on the task of building power for the working class."

In November 2026, Osburn wrote on the "2026 DSA-LA Leadership Elections" website, referring to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as "IOF" and expressing support for the Global Sumud Flotilla.

“IOF” means “Israeli Occupation Forces,” a term used by anti-Israel activists to demonize Israel’s army in place of its real name, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). "IOF" is used to allege that Israel’s existence is illegitimate by accusing Israeli Jews of illegitimately occupying the entire land.

The “Free Gaza Movement” [Gaza Freedom Movement] has organized boats to Gaza meant to “break the siege,” including a May 2010 “Freedom Flotilla.” In 2011, the United Nations found that the flotilla agitators initiated an organized, violent confrontation with Israeli forces. The lead ship, the Mavi Marmara, was carrying no humanitarian aid, only weapons.

In April 2024, another “Freedom Flotilla” attempted to challenge the naval blockade of Gaza during Israel’s war against Hamas, called “Swords of Iron.” However, the mission failed, as the ships of the 2024 flotilla were blocked from leaving the port in Turkey.

Between August and September 2025, the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) set sail from various European ports. On October 1-2, 2025, the GSF attempted to breach the blockade but was intercepted by Israeli ships. The flotilla vessels were found to contain no aid, and the activists aboard the ships were deported. Documents were found linking the flotilla to Hamas.

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is America’s largest socialist organization. Its core ideology includes anti-American, anti-Israel, anti-Western and abolitionist elements. In August 2025, DSA passed “For a Fighting Anti-Zionist DSA,” making support for Israel an expellable offense. DSA has also called to “abolish I.C.E. and capitalism.”

Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks against Israel, DSA condemned Israel, expressed support for Hamas, endorsed anti-Israel rallies and called for members to engage in anti-Israel activism. It condemned Israeli retaliatory attacks against the IRGC and Hezbollah, as well as the U.S. attacks against the Houthi terror organization, whose slogan reads: "...Death to America / Death to Israel / A Curse upon the Jews...”

DSA first endorsed the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement in 2017 and it has also condemned sanctions against countries like Iran and Cuba.

The group endorses far-left politicians on the local, state and federal levels. DSA also promotes anti-Israel agitators, including DSA members Rashida Tlaib, Zohran Mamdani and Linda Sarsour.

Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), DSA’s youth section active in high schools and colleges, has co-organized anti-Israel protests across the U.S. since October 7, 2023, particularly the April 2024 pro-terror encampments on university campuses.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas murdered approximately 1,200 Israelis, kidnapped 251 and wounded thousands. War crimes included various systematic sexual crimes like gang rape and genital mutilation. Men and women were violated, even after being murdered. Victims who survived that day, including hostages, endured forms of humiliation and torture.

Gazans working in the targeted Israeli villages provided intelligence to Hamas on which families to kill and torture, including long-time employers. Many Palestinian civilians joined in and celebrated the attacks. Hamas livestreamed their crimes on social media, including to victims’ accounts for families to see. To learn more, see the Canary Mission page on Hamas.