There is no “who”.
There is a collective “who” that gained power incrementally until they were strong enough to dictate policies and ban speech they did not like. All the while they made demands against boards of governors etc. until they were the only power left. Thats just in academia.
And from that academia came the demand that the press become advocates, not journalists. That was from the 90’s.
So now they controlled 2 main influencers of thought: education and media.
Thats the “who” you are looking for.
Started back in the 60’s. It becomes easier the more bases you cover with your brand of slime. Now they just tell you to shut up and have the power using courts and opinion[social media campaigns that can get people fired] to make it stick.
Sort of like a hydra...cut off one “head” and 2 more pop up.
That said, did this movement just develop organically? Was there never a unified command and control apparatus?
I have previously referred to the collective of the Deep State, academia/education, and the Democrat Party as The Beast without a Brain. That still seems applicable, but I would clarify that it has a brain, but its brain is spread out like the brain of an octopus.
As you say, it has a collective brain (like the Borg).
I meant to add the Media to the Deep State, academia, et al. There’s probably still someone else I have forgotten to include.