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The practice of hiring actors to simulate grassroots support
The public record shows money flowing from wealthy progressive donors, dark‑money intermediaries and donor-advised networks into nonprofits and activist infrastructure that sometimes organize protests...
Crowds on Demand is a publicity firm that has drawn repeated accusations of selling “astroturf” and staged protests, but the reporting provided does not identify any civil or criminal lawsuits filed a...
do exist in documented cases — from firms that hire actors to political campaigns and local examples in countries such as and — but most contemporary accusations, especially in news cycles, are freque...
Allegations in 2026 that many protesters are “paid” have become a prominent political line after the fatal Minneapolis shooting and ensuing demonstrations, but available reporting shows a mix of unver...
Distinguishing genuine from paid protesters is rarely a binary exercise; while organized firms that supply hired demonstrators exist, most large-scale protests are composed of volunteers and grassroot...
Local governments and advocacy groups have responded to astroturfing by documenting and publicizing incidents, holding hearings and oversight reviews, experimenting with detection methods and procedur...
Available reporting shows credible evidence linking Dallas Justice Now to the Republican marketing firm Crowds on Demand and to the same network of groups that includes Keep Dallas Safe, though Dallas...
Crowds on Demand says it creates “impactful advocacy campaigns” by recruiting, organizing and compensating people to appear as protesters, supporters or fans, and the company points to scripted logist...
Public-facing evidence and reporting show Crowds on Demand most frequently serves corporate PR and entertainment clients (store openings, product launches, celebrity entourages and galas), advocacy an...
Crowds on Demand recruits people through a mix of public-facing job-like outreach and private networks, and pays participants modestly—typically in the low hundreds—while marketing the service as advo...
Paid protesters working for Crowds on Demand face a mix of legal, financial, safety, and reputational risks: arrests or civil suits tied to unlawful conduct or harassment, unclear contract protections...
The U.S. market for “crowds for hire” is small but diverse: a handful of specialist firms openly sell paid attendees, actors, paparazzi and protestors while broader event-staffing and promotional agen...