A Yale University dance troupe, Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Yale, has apologized for raising money for “Palestinian anarchist fighters” supporting the military arm of Hamas. 

During two of their performances on campus this weekend, the ballerinas projected a QR code labeled “Support Palestine” onstage. The QR code directed audience members to a slide on Instagram titled, “Support Palestinian anarchist fighters” with a Venmo address, according to the Yale Daily News.

The fundraiser, organized by anti-colonialist Marxist activist account, AbolishUSA, claims to fundraise for “State Subversive Mutual Aid” that stands in opposition to “colonialism, borders, the state & capitalism.”

The AbolishUSA fundraiser was for an “anarchist movement in Palestine” named Fauda, which means “chaos” in Hebrew and Arabic and is also the name of a hit Netflix series on Israeli commandos. A Fauda member in an interview with AbolishUSA described the organization as one of “15 anti-Zionist resistance groups in Palestine,” which includes Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Kitab al-Aqsa. The Fauda representative claimed the terrorist bodies are “all together” and “follow the same goal.” 

Another interview with AbolishUSA heavily implied that the funds would be raised for military purposes, including, “tools for self-defense” and “wooden boards for blocking streets.”

Neither Yale nor the Mexican Dance Troupe have responded to the Sun’s request for comment.

In an apology post on Instagram, the group said they never intended to support terrorism. 

“During the beginning of Ballet Folkorico’s (BF) 2023 Fall Showcase, a QR code linked to a non-Yale nor BF-affiliated Instagram post was displayed,” the group explained, “this post included statements supporting a terrorist-aligned organization operating within the region in addition to a relatedly linked (non-Yale nor BF-affiliated) Venmo account.”

“BF would like to emphasize that the content the QR code led to does NOT align with the values and principles of our dance group. We, the presidents, included this post in a rushed manner before consulting our members,” the letter’s authors added.

 The ballet troupe had encouraged members to hide their affiliation with the club after news of the incident became public, according to the Yale student newspaper. 

The Daily News also reported on an email sent by the presidents of the embattled ballet troupe in which they apologized for posting the message “without consulting the board or membership.” It was a “substantial oversight,” the groups’ presidents wrote. They expressed contrition to members who were “unwillingly and unknowingly aligned” with the statements.

“We stand behind efforts to aid and bring attention to this crisis, linking this post was a grave error,” the presidents added. 

In addition to urging followers to support Palestinian terrorist groups, the ballerinas also urged followers to raise money for the Middle East Children’s Alliance, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, Medical Aid for Palestinians, and Gaza Mutual Aid Collective.