A recent investigation by The Toronto Sun has revealed that many protestors in pro-Palestinian demonstrations are being paid to participate — with millionaire tech mogul Neville Roy Singham allegedly playing a large part in funding these protests.
According to a recent investigation by The Toronto Sun, there has been a major change in pro-Palestinian protests – especially after the incidents of October 7, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and hundreds taken hostage by Hamas. Before October 7th, most of these demonstrations were characterized by small and disorganized gatherings, but now they have undergone a major organizational upgrade. Recent protests have witnessed the participation of hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of people who come prepared with professionally-made signs, banners, and organized transportation and provisions.
The Toronto Sun began investigating the source of the funding for these protests and appears to have uncovered the primary backers of these events, identifying The Plenty Collective, based in Victoria, B.C., as a key financier. This organization established a “Solidarity Fund” to support individuals and groups in organizing or participating in actions supporting Palestine, covering a range of costs for protestors including lost wages, supplies, and payment for speakers. Palestinian, Black, or Indigenous participants were given priority by The Plenty Collective, which has been shelling out thousands for weeks now – close to $20,000 per month on average.
Local Municipal Councilor Ian Ward, along with activist Charles Bodi, exposed a scheme where people were being directly paid to participate in protests. “They are highly organized. I’ve watched them.,” said Bodi. “A van pulls up, and they’ve got flags, signs, and they’ve got organizers from the Plenty Collective wearing orange vests controlling the crowds. And they have control because they are holding the cash for the protestors.”
Bodi speculated on the funding of these groups, stating: “We don’t see them being this organized, and this well-funded, without offshore money.”
These paid protests also aren’t limited to Canada; in the United States, there have been instances of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic protests receiving outside financial support. Tech entrepreneur Neville Roy Singham and his wife Jodie Evans have been the main sponsors of several protests through their organization called “People’s Forum,” which has organized multiple anti-Israel protests since October 7.
Breitbart News previously reported on Singham, who has used his wealth to influence political and social causes in the past. Breitbart News’ John Hayward wrote:
The far-left New York Times (NYT) on Saturday published an exposé on Neville Roy Singham, an American millionaire socialist activist who, the newspaper claimed, “works closely with the Chinese government media machine” and finances Chinese Communist Party propaganda operations around the world.
“From a think tank in Massachusetts to an event space in Manhattan, from a political party in South Africa to news organizations in India and Brazil, The Times tracked hundreds of millions of dollars to groups linked to Mr. Singham that mix progressive advocacy with Chinese government talking points,” the NYT reported.
One example spotlighted in the report is a group called “No Cold War,” which is ostensibly a “loose collective” of American and British activists who believe the Western world is picking a fight with China to distract the public from “issues like climate change and racial injustice.”
No Cold War is allegedly a fuzzy outgrowth of Singham’s “web of charities and shell companies,” and its activities receive wildly disproportionate attention from Chinese state media organizations – which, unlike the general Chinese population, are allowed to use Western social media platforms like Twitter to push Beijing’s propaganda.
On November 24th, the Singham-backed group The People’s Forum tweeted “Are you ready to disrupt business as usual? No celebrating in peace while genocide takes place!” November 24th marked the pro-Palestine “shut down” protests that aimed to disrupt the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 34 were arrested during the protests.
🇵🇸 Are you ready to disrupt business as usual? No celebrating in peace while genocide takes place!
⚫️ This Black Friday, 11/24, we will boycott, disrupt, and rally at commercial centers to #ShutItDown4Palestine
➡️ Register your action at https://t.co/SqALeJWi9z pic.twitter.com/bYACP5PYnS
— The People’s Forum (@PeoplesForumNYC) November 18, 2023
Advertisements for paid protestors have been openly posted on job boards such as Craiglist, reading: “We are looking for 5-7 actors or activists to hold panels and distribute flyers in front of a venue as a peaceful, legal protest. Needed for November 24th, evening, 2-3 hours, paying $30/hour.”
Municipal Councilor Ian Ward stated: “They’re paying for protestors to try and lend credibility to their movement. Oct. 7 was just stage one. These carefully-crafted and controlled protests are a public relations campaign, and I think are the real objective.”
Read more at The Toronto Sun here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.