Fact check: Which organizations have been accused of funding protests in California?

1. Summary of the results

Several organizations have been accused of funding protests in California, though the evidence varies significantly:

• The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) received substantial government funding - $34 million in 2023, up from $12.4 million in 2022 ^{[1] [2]}
• The Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) has been accused of having ties to socialist funding sources and the Chinese Communist Party ^[3]
• President Trump accused Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass of paying violent protesters, though no evidence was provided to support this claim ^[4]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements need to be considered:

• CHIRLA's funding was legitimate government money, including:

California Department of Social Services

California Arts Council

Governor's Office of Emergency Services ^[1]

CHIRLA explicitly denies involvement in violent protests ^[3]

• The $3 million from the Department of Social Services was specifically earmarked for legal services to immigrants, not protests ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

There are several instances of misinformation surrounding protest funding:

• Widespread conspiracy theories about George Soros orchestrating and funding protests have been thoroughly debunked ^[5]
• Claims about "Soros-funded organizations" placing bricks for protesters were proven false and traced to a Malaysian building supply company ^[6]
• The question itself might suggest improper funding of protests, when in fact many organizations receive legitimate government funding for legal and social services ^{[1] [2]}

Those who benefit from pushing various narratives include:

• Political figures like Trump, who can use accusations against Democratic leaders (Newsom, Bass) to energize their base ^[4]
• Anti-immigration groups who can use CHIRLA's government funding to criticize immigrant support programs ^[1]
• Conspiracy theorists who can use these narratives to promote broader anti-establishment messages ^[5]