From AI:
While the idea of paid protesters exists and has been suggested, especially by politicians, there is no widespread evidence of people being paid to protest in the typical sense. Instead, funding in activism often comes from philanthropic organizations or activist groups, which provide money to grassroots organizations and activists to support their activities, rather than paying individuals to show up and protest.
What Paid Protester Claims Mean
Accusations of Paid Agitators:
Political figures have sometimes accused protesters of being "paid insurrectionists" or "paid people" to discredit them. These claims often point to individuals engaging in destructive acts, but they do not provide evidence of widespread payment to general participants.
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