Fact check: Who funds protest movements in major US cities?

1. Summary of the results

The question of who funds protest movements in major US cities is complex and often misrepresented. Traditional philanthropic organizations and foundations are generally hesitant to directly fund protest movements, with few exceptions like the Black Lives Matter pooled fund which distributed $100 million to ground-level organizers ^[1]. Claims about direct funding of protests often lack substantial evidence, as seen in investigations into specific cases involving organizations like CHIRLA ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements need to be considered:

• Many protest movements are actually underfunded rather than well-financed as sometimes portrayed ^[1]
• Protests often emerge as spontaneous responses to specific events, such as immigration raids, rather than being centrally organized and funded ^[3]
• There's a crucial distinction between:
• Organizations receiving general grants for advocacy work
• Direct funding of specific protests or paying individual protesters
• Supporting related activities like press conferences and rallies ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself may reflect common misconceptions and biases:

• Conspiracy theories often circulate about protest funding, particularly targeting specific individuals like George Soros. While his Open Society Foundations does provide grants to some organizations, claims about direct payment to protesters have been repeatedly debunked ^[4]
• Social media disinformation plays a significant role in spreading misleading narratives about protests and their funding sources ^[3]
• Politicians and media outlets sometimes benefit from promoting unsubstantiated claims about protest funding:
• Conservative politicians like Senator Josh Hawley have launched investigations into protest funding without providing concrete evidence ^[2]
• The New York Post and others have made unsubstantiated claims about protest funding that were later contradicted by university spokespeople and other official sources ^[4]

It's crucial to note that allegations about protest funding often serve political purposes and should be carefully scrutinized for evidence rather than accepted at face value.