Paid Agitators Among Those Involved In Anti-ICE Riots: Report
Amid escalating tensions regarding the individuals responsible for the violent anti-ICE protests, a California-based firm that specializes in providing on-demand protest crowds asserts that there are methods to differentiate between hired demonstrators and genuine participants.
“We receive inquiries about nearly every significant social cause conceivable, and the anti-ICE protests are no exception,” stated Adam Swart, the CEO and founder of Crowds on Demand, in an interview with Fox News Digital. “The mere fact that we receive requests does not imply that we accept them, in many instances, because the budget does not align with the ambition.”
Swart further informed the outlet that his company has received “numerous high-budget requests” concerning the anti-ICE protests, but those proposals were turned down due to the fact that “they do not wish to engage in any form of illegal activity, including violence, vandalism, or obstructing roads without a permit.”
Swart, who established Crowds on Demand in 2012 while attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with the intention of “transforming how advocacy is conducted,” elaborated on how his company supports various causes and how to discern if protests are linked to other companies or organizations.
He mentioned that one method to identify the distinction between his crowds and those hired by other firms is if those “paid protest teams are kept on standby.”
“These groups deploy protesters within minutes utilizing geolocation tools and encrypted chats,” Swart remarked, adding that “only compensated activists can mobilize that quickly.”
“What you are currently observing from the agitators should not be associated with the larger protest movement, as there exists a faction of agitators who align themselves with every cause, using it as a pretext for looting, engaging in violence, and instigating chaos,” Swart informed Fox.
“Their interest does not lie in these causes; rather, they are solely focused on looting and destruction. They are akin to pirates and psychopaths, and their conduct must not be accepted, nor should their actions be utilized to undermine the legitimacy of peaceful protesters,” he elaborated.
Swart ominously noted that certain groups may have informants within the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“It is probable that activist groups are receiving advance warnings regarding ICE raid locations, enabling them to organize protests prior to law enforcement’s arrival,” Swart asserted.
“I firmly believe that there are informants within ICE who are supplying demonstrators with information about the raid sites. My belief stems from the fact that hundreds of demonstrators appeared with mere minutes’ notice at the raid locations, which is quite challenging to achieve,” he added.
Swart clarified that this is solely his conjecture, and he lacks concrete information regarding the potential funding of the riots.
“Although I do not possess direct evidence that the protesters are being financially compensated, I am convinced that a significant number of them are receiving payment,” he stated. “How do I arrive at this conclusion? Because the ability to assemble hundreds of individuals at the early hours of the morning or late at night with no prior notice, merely through a text message within a 10-minute timeframe, resembles a rapid response unit more than a group of genuinely passionate demonstrators.”
He further suggested that individuals should be vigilant for legal donations and payments that are “veiled as support.”
“Rather than providing direct cash payments, organizations provide costly legal defense packages and upscale accommodations as an alternative – effectively compensating for unlawful actions without explicitly labeling it as such,” Swart clarified, noting that another indication is the provision of hotel accommodations for violent rioters.
“Anticipate that protest leaders will be housed in boutique hotels while ‘awaiting trial.’ This strategy is becoming more common as a means to reward assertive participants without attracting legal scrutiny,” he remarked.