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As anti-Trump protesters crowded the steps below the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, the media painted a feel-good portrait. NBC4 Washington declared on social media: “Grassroots groups descend on capitol for People’s March ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration.” The Associated Press reported that anti-Trump “protesters” are “gathering” in Washington, DC, for a protest led by the Women’s March, a “grassroots movement.”
The Washington Post described protests as “a collaborative effort by civil rights, racial and social justice, and reproductive health organizations,” noting the event’s “diverse mix of people.”
While this positive media coverage may have captured the energy of ordinary protesters, they left out one critical detail: the name of the profit-making professional machine behind the protests.
THOUSANDS OF LEFT-WING PROTESTERS DESCENT IN WASHINGTON PROTESTING AGAINST TRUMP’S INAUGURATION
Far from a spontaneous outpouring of civic action, the event was coordinated Movement Catalyst LLCa for-profit company based in Silver Spring, Md., and holder of an official protest permit, according to a copy of the permitwhich I got from the US National Park Service. In the 1990s, covering international trade for the Wall Street Journal, I was among the first reporters to put the term “AstroTurf” on the pages of a newspaper, describing a coalition against tariffs on minivans that the auto industry called “grassroots” but were actually manufactured by lobbyists. industry group. Organizing protests is not much different today, and today’s “People’s March” is more AstroTurf than “grassroots”. So the parade is planned for Monday, when we can expect more aggressive rebels, such as myself, to appear reported earlier this week.
Management Catalyst carefully planned Saturday’s “People’s March on Washington.” (Movement Catalyst LLC website)
The plan, labeled “Confidential Document – Not for Distribution” and filed as part of the permit application, reveals that Movement Catalyst and its team of professional protest organizers coordinated everything from security to collecting dumpsters, port-a-potties and meticulously detailed ” run of the show,”
The classified document reveals the extreme precision with which this event was engineered, down to the golf carts, water stations and even the distribution of snacks for the staff.
Records reviewed by Fox News Digital show a carefully planned event for the “People’s March on Washington.” (US National Park Service)
Why is this important? Because the public deserves transparency. When the media portrays such events as mass events, led by ordinary Americans coming together to voice their concerns, it misrepresents reality. These are highly coordinated, well-funded initiatives led by professional organizers. The lack of oversight obscures the financial, strategic and political interests behind these movements. It’s critical to follow the money and understand the players who use images of local activism to promote their causes. Often, the media will view conservative events, such as the March for Life, with skepticism and questioning, while treating progressive goals as “fundamental.” We should have equal opportunity transparency.
So what is Movement Catalyst LLC? According to Washington, DC, Government Recordsit is a limited liability company founded in February 2021. On its website, Movement Catalysts promotes its for-profit services, writing that it is an “experienced and interdisciplinary team of strategists, organizers, campaign managers and researchers” who launch “strategic projects to meet the moment.” , partnering with organizations to “expand their ability to impact and anchor movement infrastructure.” Its officials did not respond to a request for comment.
The permit was legal, but the public should know that the protest was not spontaneous or organic, writes Asra Nomani. (US National Park Service)
The People’s March is one of those “strategic projects,” and the company’s services include “strategy and campaign development” and “creative protests and events.” A look at its financing reveals the scale of its operations. In 2021, Movement Catalyst LLC received $592,050 from the New York-based Foundation for Sustainable Markets, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization for “web campaign development,” according to its Filing of IRS Form 990. Then in 2023, Philadelphia-based Workers United, working to “organize unorganized collective bargaining,” paid Movement Catalyst LLC a total of $319,600, according to its tax return. Services provided? “CONSULTANT.” This is a far cry from the grassroots, mom-and-pop operation that takes place over the kitchen table.
The classified document names four top Movement Catalyst officials as “protest leaders”:
- Abby Henderson, a partner at Movement Catalyst and the organization’s registered agent, is the “production and supplier manager” of the protest.
- Bill Ragen, a partner at Movement Catalyst, is the “Manufacturing and Supplier Manager.”
- Liz Butler, another partner at Movement Catalyst, is also “Manufacturing and Supplier Manager”.
- Samantha “Sam” Miller, an “associate” at Movement Catalyst, is in charge of “Overall Coordination”. On the National Parks application, she is a “responsible person”. Miller he was director at a previous professional protest company, DC Action Lab, which was hired by the Women’s March and others to launch protests during the first Trump administration.
The document also includes a slick map for staff and volunteers, labeled “FOR INTERNAL USE – STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS,” detailing traffic flow and stopping areas in Franklin Park, McPherson Square and Farragut Square. “People’s March Production Schedule” reveals a detailed level of planning: “Portable Restrooms,” “Golf Carts,” “Tents,” “Stage,” Tables, “Chairs,” “Flyers, Pamphlets,” “Signs, Signs,” ” Bullhorns” and Movement Catalyst for “Paid Team Clean Up.”
The “People’s March on Washington” was carefully choreographed by a for-profit company, writes Nomani. (US National Park Service)
“Miscellaneous” items include walkie-talkies, “500 cardboard trash cans,” “5,000 masks,” hand sanitizer, headphones, “snacks for volunteers and staff,” “coffee and catering for staff,” sweatshirts, scarves, t-shirts , “office supplies” and “staff badges”.
Mortell Industries provided the toilet trailers, the “Metro Golf Car” supplied the golf carts, and Bell Visuals managed the live broadcast. The license lists “Site Security” as “Omni Ranger Solutions”. Bell Visualsthe DC company that has quietly been behind many of the protest messaging projects around the nation’s capital, is listed among the live streaming vendors.
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“PRODUCTION SCHEDULE” and “RUN OF SHOW/RALLY PROGRAM” are written by presenters and performers from many major organizations, including the Women’s March, People’s Democracy in Action, Advocacy for Racial Justice, Harriet’s Wildest Dreams and Dream Defenders. Movement Catalyst has pledged to provide at least 750 “recognizable marshals”, each wearing “high visibility vests and volunteer credentials”.
This level of professionalism is not new to modern protests, but rarely are the details revealed so explicitly. The public has a right to know when well-funded organizations use the guise of grassroots activism to advance their interests. Transparency ensures accountability and enables a more informed debate about the role of professional activism in shaping public discourse.
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Behind the music, speeches and banners is a highly coordinated operation, far from the mass images projected by the media. This is important because democracy thrives on the truth, and understanding who is pulling the strings is essential to an informed citizenry. Professional organizing is certainly legal, but in today’s age of disinformation, it is crucial to examine who is starting the movements labeled as “grassroots” so that the public is not misled.
The plans for Sunday morning, from 4 a.m. to 5 a.m., include one last important thing: “Load the dumpsters and portable toilets.”
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