Paid protester

Last updated

Paid protesters or professional protesters [lower-alpha 1] are people who participate in public outrage or objection in exchange for payment. [1] [2] The expression may be directed against individuals, organizations and governments or against protests against the government with the aim of breaking up or discrediting a protest. In some contexts, people may be hired for optics to show increased public participation in the democratic process. [2] Two parliaments have debated paid protesting, the Kyrgyz parliament [1] and the Indian parliament, [3] and allegations without evidence were frequently made by former United States President Donald Trump and his supporters throughout his presidency. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

The larger the crowd, the less likely is it that they entirely consist of professional or paid protesters. [7] Paid protesters may not be aware of the matter in consideration. [8] Similar terms that have been used to refer to similar concepts include paid protest, rent-a-crowd, rent-a-mob, activists-for-hire, protest-on-hire, fake protesters/ fake protests and mercenaries.

Conspiracy theories about paid or professional protesters and coordinated protests by groups like antifa and "global elites" (i.e. George Soros conspiracies or QAnon) were common throughout the presidency of Donald Trump, [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] and both right-leaning and left-leaning misinformation circles promote allegations of paid or otherwise organized protesters. [10]

Examples

In Kyrgyzstan, the acronym OBON, which expands to "Otryad Bab Osobogo Naznacheniya" [14] in the Kyrgyz language and can be translated as "special-assignment female units", refers to hired female protesters. The benefits of this is that it is a cheap way to populate a protest site as well as reduce the probability of violent confrontation with the police and other security forces. [1] The remuneration for this has also been discussed by Kyrgyzstan media. [1]

In Indonesia, reports of paid protests surfaced during the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election, the 2014 Indonesian presidential election and during the 2001 clash between two Indonesian Presidents Megawati Sukarnoputri and Abdurrahman Wahid. [2] During the 2013–2014 Bulgarian protests various accusations were made against groups of protesters and counter-protests being paid. [15] [16] [17] In 2014, protesters in Pakistan told BBC that they were hired to protest for Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri. [18]

In 2018, the Additional Solicitor General of India used the phrase in the Supreme Court of India, "We are in an era where there are some professional protesters who like to protest outside the apex court, Parliament, President’s house or Prime Minister’s house. They don’t like any other alternative place for protests". [19] The Shaheen Bagh protests in India were accused of being a paid protest. The protesters in turn put up posters and conveyed through the media that it was not a paid protest and that the protesters were not doing it for money. [20] [21] [22]

A poster (top left) at the Shaheen Bagh protest reads: "No Cash, No Paytm, No Account" (Don't give money to any volunteers) Photographed, 11 Jan 2020 Shaheen Bagh protests blocking a major road in New Delhi for 28 days Visual from 11 Jan 2020.jpg
A poster (top left) at the Shaheen Bagh protest reads: "No Cash, No Paytm, No Account" (Don't give money to any volunteers)
Photographed, 11 Jan 2020

Former U.S. President Donald Trump often made unfounded claims about paid or professional protesters throughout his presidency. [6] [23] [24] [25] [26] For example he used the phrase "professional protesters" in a tweet following protests against his election victory. [4] Similar accusations were made against participants in the Dakota Access Pipeline protests in 2016 and 2017. [27] There have been public claims of organizations such as Crowds on Demand providing paid protesters, or pay for protesting. [28] [29] [30] [31]

In the United Kingdom, concerns and accusations related to paid protests have been reported. During the visit of Tamim al-Thani to London in 2018, a paid protest took place outside Downing Street. [32] [33]

Variants

In Indonesia, the term "nasi bungkus brigade" or the "boxed lunch crowd" has been coined to refer to paid protesters. [2] [34] The Hindi phrase andolan jeevis translates to "protest lifeforms". The phrase was used by the Indian Prime Minister in the parliament of India. [35]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lou Dobbs</span> American television host (1945–2024)

Louis Carl Dobbs was an American conservative political commentator, author, and television host who presented Moneyline from 1980 to 2009 and 2011 to 2021. From 2021 until his death, he hosted The Great America Show on iHeartRadio and loudobbs.com.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">QAnon</span> American conspiracy theory and political movement

QAnon is a far-right American political conspiracy theory and political movement that originated in 2017. QAnon centers on fabricated claims made by an anonymous individual or individuals known as "Q". Those claims have been relayed and developed by online communities and influencers. Their core belief is that a cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic child molesters is operating a global child sex trafficking ring that conspired against president Donald Trump. QAnon has direct roots in Pizzagate, an Internet conspiracy theory that appeared one year earlier, but also incorporates elements of many different conspiracy theories and unifies them into a larger interconnected conspiracy theory. QAnon has been described as a cult.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Trump Jr.</span> American businessman (born 1977)

Donald John Trump Jr., often nicknamed Don Jr., is an American businessman. He is the eldest child of former U.S. president Donald Trump and his first wife Ivana Trump.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaheen Bagh</span> Neighbourhood in Delhi, India

Shaheen Bagh is a neighbourhood in the South Delhi district of Delhi, India. It is on the U.P border and southernmost colony of the Okhla area, situated along the banks of the Yamuna. The locality is known for being the site of gathering for the protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR). Shaheen Bagh is recognized as one of the areas in Delhi with a significant Muslim population.

The Daily Caller is a right-wing news and opinion website based in Washington, D.C. It was founded by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and political pundit Neil Patel in 2010. Launched as a "conservative answer to The Huffington Post", The Daily Caller quadrupled its audience and became profitable by 2012, surpassing several rival websites by 2013. In 2020, the site was described by The New York Times as having been "a pioneer in online conservative journalism". The Daily Caller is a member of the White House press pool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Burkman</span> American lobbyist

Jack Burkman is an American conspiracy theorist, fraudster, convicted felon and conservative lobbyist. Burkman and far-right conspiracy theorist Jacob Wohl have allegedly been responsible for multiple unsuccessful plots to frame public figures for fictitious sexual assaults, including in October 2018 against U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, in April 2019 against 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, and in April 2020 against White House Coronavirus Task Force member Anthony Fauci.

The murder of Seth Rich occurred on July 10, 2016, at 4:20 a.m. in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Rich died about an hour and a half after being shot twice in the back. The perpetrators were never apprehended; police suspected he had been the victim of an attempted robbery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pizzagate conspiracy theory</span> Debunked conspiracy theory about alleged child-sex ring

"Pizzagate" is a conspiracy theory that went viral during the 2016 United States presidential election cycle, falsely claiming that the New York City Police Department (NYPD) had discovered a pedophilia ring linked to members of the Democratic Party while searching through Anthony Weiner's emails. It has been extensively discredited by a wide range of organizations, including the Washington, D.C. police.

The Gateway Pundit (TGP) is an American far-right fake news website. The website is known for publishing falsehoods, hoaxes, and conspiracy theories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Posobiec</span> American conservative commentator and conspiracy theorist

Jack Michael Posobiec III is an American alt-right political activist, television correspondent and presenter, conspiracy theorist, and former United States Navy intelligence officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antifa (United States)</span> Anti-fascist political activist movement

Antifa is a left-wing to far-left anti-fascist and anti-racist political movement in the United States. It consists of a highly decentralized array of autonomous groups that use nonviolent direct action, incivility, or violence to achieve their aims. Antifa political activism includes non-violent methods such as poster and flyer campaigns, mutual aid, speeches, protest marches, and community organizing. Some who identify as antifa also use tactics involving digital activism, doxing, harassment, physical violence, and property damage. Members of antifa aim to combat far-right extremists, including neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

Definers Public Affairs was an American right leaning opposition research firm based in Arlington, Virginia. It performed media monitoring services, conducted research using the Freedom of Information Act and also created strategic communication to negatively influence the public image about individuals, firms, candidates and organizations who oppose their clients. Definers shared at least nine current and former executives, as well as its office space, with America Rising, a Republican-affiliated political action committee, and NTK Network, a digital news aggregator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph diGenova</span> American attorney

Joseph diGenova is an American lawyer and political commentator who served as the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from 1983 to 1988. He and his wife, Victoria Toensing, are partners in the Washington, D.C., law firm diGenova and Toensing. He is known for promoting conspiracy theories about the Department of Justice and the FBI. He and Toensing frequently appeared on Fox News and Fox Business channels, until diGenova used a November 2019 appearance to spread conspiracy theories about George Soros, leading to widespread calls for him to be banned from the network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Wohl</span> American far-right conspiracy theorist and fraudster

Jacob Alexander Wohl is an American far-right conspiracy theorist, fraudster, and convicted felon. Wohl and lobbyist Jack Burkman have been responsible for multiple unsuccessful plots to frame public figures for fictitious sexual assaults. The pair were allegedly behind plots in October 2018 against U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, in April 2019 against 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, and in April 2020 against White House Coronavirus Task Force member Anthony Fauci.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Soros conspiracy theories</span>

Hungarian-American billionaire businessman and philanthropist George Soros's philanthropy and support for progressive causes has made him the subject of many conspiracy theories, most of them originating from the political right. Veronika Bondarenko, writing for Business Insider said: "For two decades, some have seen Soros as a kind of puppet master secretly controlling the global economy and politics." The New York Times describes the allegations as moving "from the dark corners of the internet and talk radio" to "the very center of the political debate" by 2018. Professor Armin Langer has noted that Soros is "the perfect code word" for conspiracy theories that unite antisemitism and Islamophobia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaheen Bagh protest</span> 2019–20 protests in India

The Shaheen Bagh protest was a peaceful sit-in protest in Delhi, India, that began on 15 December 2019 and lasted until 24 March 2020. The protest was led by women who blocked a major road at Shaheen Bagh using non-violent resistance 24×7. Mainly consisting of Muslim women, the protest began in response to the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on 11 December 2019 and the ensuing police intervention against students at Jamia Millia Islamia who were opposing the Amendment. Protesters agitated against the citizenship issues of the CAA, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR), in addition to police brutality, unemployment, and poverty, and for women's safety. The Delhi Police barricaded major roads in and around the area, affecting more than 100,000 vehicles a day and adding hours to some journeys. Following the North East Delhi riots, police presence in the area temporarily increased with over 1000 personnel being assigned to Shaheen Bagh. After the COVID-19 outbreak in India and subsequent government-enforced restrictions the protest continued for several days in a more controlled manner. Following the complete lockdown imposed in Delhi on 23 March 2020, the remaining protesters were arrested or forcefully removed from the site by the Delhi Police.

Sharjeel Imam is an Indian student activist from Kako village of Jehanabad, Bihar. He had completed his B.Tech. and M.Tech. from IIT-Bombay and joined Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2013 for completing his master's degree in Modern History and in 2015 he started Ph.D. from the same university. He is known for his allegedly inflammatory speeches made during anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests which led to his arrest under sedition.

Bilkis Bano, nicknamed Bilkis Dadi, is an Indian activist who was at the forefront of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) passed by the central Government of India. She received national and international coverage during the sit-in protest in Shaheen Bagh in Delhi. For her role in the Shaheen Bagh protest, she came to be known as one of the 'Dadis of Shaheen Bagh' and went on to be listed on the Time 100 list and BBC's 100 Women in 2020. She was named "Woman of the Year" in The World's 500 Most Influential Muslims for 2020.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Not to be confused with professionals who protest.

    Citations

    1. 1 2 3 4 Kim, Alexander; Osmonalieva, Asyl; Sikorskaya, Inga; Rasulov, Bakhtiyor (6 January 2012). "Rent-a-Mob Protests in Central Asia". Institute for War and Peace Reporting. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
    2. 1 2 3 4 Andrews, Sally (3 February 2017). "Packed Lunch Protesters: Outrage for Hire in Indonesia". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    3. ↑ "'Protests liberated India,' say farmer unions in response to PM Modi's 'andolan jeevi' comment". Scroll.in. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    4. 1 2 Cummings, William (10 November 2016). "Trump calls protests 'unfair' in first controversial tweet as president-elect". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    5. ↑ Jervis, Rick. "Allegations of fake protests spread as anti-Trump fervor grows". USA Today. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    6. 1 2 Choi, Matthew. "Trump claims 'paid protesters' during Kavanaugh confirmation 'haven't gotten their checks'". Politico. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    7. ↑ Kiger, Patrick J. (30 May 2017). "Do Paid Protesters Really Exist?". HowStuffWorks. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    8. ↑ MacMahon, Martin (21 January 2020). "'Ashamed, embarrassed': Burnaby woman says she was paid $150 to support Meng Wanzhou outside court - NEWS 1130". www.citynews1130.com. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    9. ↑ Hinnant, David Klepper and Lori. "Is George Soros paying protesters? Soros' conspiracy theories surge as protests sweep nation". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    10. 1 2 "The World Was Primed for Protest Conspiracy Theories". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    11. ↑ "Opinion | George Floyd protests, George Soros, and a dangerous right-wing conspiracy". NBC News. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    12. ↑ "George Soros conspiracy theories surge as protests sweep US". AP NEWS. 2020-06-21. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    13. ↑ Doctorow, Cory (2017-01-18). "Obviously fake "paid protester" site sets right wing media aflutter". Boing Boing. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    14. ↑ Marat, Erica (2018-03-01). "5: Kyrgyzstan". The Politics of Police Reform: Society against the State in Post-Soviet Countries. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-086151-3.
    15. ↑ "Специално за отхвърлянето на президентското вето БСП и ДПС си докараха хора от страната срещу антиправителствения протест в София, управляващите използват своите симпатизанти като жив щит срещу опита на протестиращите да окупират НС" (in Bulgarian). mediapool.bg. 16 August 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
    16. ↑ "Предлагали по 80 лв. на студенти за участие в контрапротест" (in Bulgarian). burgas.topnovini.bg. 3 November 2013. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
    17. ↑ "Георги Флоров: aгенциите за статисти набират платени протестиращи" (in Bulgarian). blitz.bg. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
    18. ↑ "Pakistan Qadri protesters 'paid'". BBC News. 8 September 2014. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    19. ↑ PTI (2018-04-24). "It is an era of 'professional protesters': Centre tells Supreme Court". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    20. ↑ ""No Cash, No Paytm" Posters At Shaheen Bagh To Refute Claims Of Paid Protests". The NDTV. 19 January 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
    21. ↑ "BJP IT cell chief claims Shaheen Bagh protesters paid Rs 500/day". The Siasat Daily. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
    22. ↑ "Shaheen Bagh women send defamation notice to BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya over paid protest charge". India Today. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
    23. ↑ "Trump lashes out at "professional protesters"... before praising their passion". Newsweek. 2016-11-11. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    24. ↑ "The US is protesting against a system that normalises Donald Trump". Hindustan Times. 2016-11-14. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    25. ↑ Gillin, Joshua (February 27, 2017). "No evidence that protesters are paid to disrupt Republican town hall meetings". PolitiFact. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
    26. ↑ Bump, Philip (October 5, 2018). "The irony of Trump's debasing allegation that Kavanaugh protesters are paid". Washington Post.
    27. ↑ Brown, Alleen (May 6, 2017). "Oklahoma Governor Signs Anti-Protest Law Imposing Huge Fines on 'Conspirator' Organizations". The Intercept . Retrieved December 11, 2021.
    28. ↑ Lecher, Colin (2017-01-17). "This 'paid protester' service is likely fake, but the online conspiracy machine doesn't care". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    29. ↑ Schneider, Dan (22 July 2015). "1-800-HIRE-A-CROWD: The business of generating fake enthusiasm, from flash mobs to the campaign trail". The Atlantic. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
    30. ↑ Austin, Marin (17 February 2016). "Concerned Citizens Turn Out to Be Political Theater". NBC4 Los Angeles. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
    31. ↑ "Politician who accused protesters of being 'paid' is now getting invoices from them" . The Independent. 2017-02-15. Archived from the original on 2022-05-24. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    32. ↑ Waterson, Jim (2018-07-23). "Questions raised over paid protest timed for Qatari leader's No 10 visit". The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    33. ↑ "Concerns raised over paid protest in London for Qatari Amir". www.iloveqatar.net. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    34. ↑ Varagur, Krithika (3 February 2017). "Behind Jakarta Protest, Tangled Web of Money and Material Support". Voice of America. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
    35. ↑ Joshua, Anita (9 February 2021). "Protesting farmers hand PM a lesson for his 'Andolan Jeevi' comment". Telegraph India. Retrieved 2021-02-14.

    Further reading

    Humour and satire

    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.