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@steve-holder
I've discovered a great book for people in recovery.
The Truth About Paid Protests
Most people assume protests are just citizens taking to the streets because they care about an issue. Thatâs true most of the time. But not always. Thereâs an industry built around supplying crowds, and sometimes people are literally paid to hold signs, chant slogans, or just stand in the background.
Most Protests Are Real
The majority of demonstrations you see are grassroots. Organized by unions, activist groups, political movements, or communities. People show up because they actually believe in the cause. They mobilize through social networks, local groups, or word of mouth. Nobodyâs handing them cash.Paid Protesters Exist
Theyâre not common, but theyâre real. Companies like Crowds on Demand in the U.S. or Rent a Crowd in the UK openly sell âcrowdsâ for hire. Theyâll provide bodies for protests, rallies, PR stunts, even fake fan mobs.
Documented cases:
New Orleans (2017â2018): Actors were paid to support a proposed power plant at city council meetings. Pay was around $60 just to sit in and $200 if you delivered a speech.
Charlotte, NC (2017): Craigslist ad from Crowds on Demand looking for âactors and photographersâ to attend rallies. Rate: $25 an hour plus expenses.
These arenât rumors. They happened.
Why They Do It
1. Corporate lobbying â Businesses want to show âpublic supportâ for controversial projects.
2. Politics â Politicians and advocacy groups sometimes fake momentum.
3. PR stunts â Celebrities or companies stage events to grab media attention.
Costs and Scale
Paying people isnât cheap. Ten thousand paid protesters at $25 an hour for four hours = over a million dollars. Thatâs why these operations are usually small or mid-sized. Dozens, maybe a few hundred. Not the giant marches you see on the news.
Spotting a Paid Protest
Possible tells:
Protesters canât explain what theyâre protesting.
Identical props, shirts, or pre-printed signs.
Leaked recruitment ads or whistleblowers.
Still, donât jump to conclusions. Most âtheyâre all paid actorsâ claims are just attempts to discredit real movements.
Bottom Line
Most protests are authentic. Paid protesters exist, but theyâre rare and usually tied to lobbying fights, corporate PR, or political theater. The danger is when people use the existence of paid crowds to dismiss real activism. Paid protests happen, but theyâre the exceptionânot the rule.
Jezebel Under Fire After Reporter Brags About Paying Witches to Curse Charlie Kirk Before His Assassination
The feminist website Jezebel is facing backlash after publishing an article in which a reporter admitted to hiring witches on Etsy to âcurseâ MAGA conservative influencer Charlie Kirkâjust two days before he was assassinated in Utah.
The piece, which initially mocked Kirk and his conservative activism, included passages where the unnamed reporter confessed to paying for âmultiple cursesâ aimed at the Turning Point USA founder. The writer even expressed frustration and panic that the spells had not yet produced results.
âAre you interested in punishing Kirk for the years of regressive rhetoric heâs shouted at Americaâs youth and anyone within earshot?â the article provocatively asked readers, before recounting the reporterâs attempt to solicit occult-based harm against him.
The tone of the storyâpublished shortly before the high-profile killingâsparked outrage across social media, with critics accusing Jezebel of glorifying targeted harassment and crossing ethical lines. After widespread condemnation, the publication quietly appended an editorâs note distancing itself from the violence and declaring opposition to the assassination.
The move has not quelled the controversy. Critics argue the outletâs initial framing blurred the line between commentary and incitement, raising serious questions about journalistic responsibility in an era where political figures already face heightened security threats.
Kirk, a polarizing figure in American politics, was assassinated in Utah under circumstances that are still under investigation. The timing of Jezebelâs article and its lurid details about âcursesâ have only deepened public concern over the normalization of violent rhetoric in partisan media.