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Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

You may have mocked claims about the existence of paid protesters as just another lie from the right. As it turns out, at least on this one issue, theyre actually telling the truth. The problem is, the right neglected to mention those paid protesters are part of the right wing apparatus.

The story starts last week, when the right wing decided to aim its collective outrage at a free staging of Shakespeares play Julius Caesar held in New York Citys Central Park. Mike Cernovich, a self-described member of the alt-right whothinksthe U.S. should give immigrants IQ tests, put up a YouTube video in which he offered cash to any protesters willing to disrupt the play for pay.

Ill give up to 10 people $1,000, Cernovich says in thefootage. I need you to get up with either a CNN is ISIS or Bill Clintons a rapist or The media is terrorism [sign]. And if youre able to get up and be escorted out by security, then I will give you $1,000.

In other words, Cernovich was actively and openly looking to recruit paid protesters. You know how conservatives made up that ridiculous myth about George Soros sending checks to liberals who march in protests? This is the real version of that, only sponsored by Cernovich.

The story actually gets richer, so to speak, as it continues. The night after Cernovichs offer, two protesters went to see Julius Caesar in the park. Semi-notorious right-wing media figure Laura Loomer snagged a ticket for a second-row seat that definitely should have gone to someone who actually wanted to see the play. Alt-right provocateur Jack Posobiec, whose greatest hits includepizzagateand the Seth Richconspiracy lie, also showed up. The two Trumpites told theNew Yorkerthey hadnt planned to meetwhich may or may not be trueand once they spotted each other, they sat apart so as not to arouse suspicion. Are you here for the Cernovich contest? Posobiec reportedly texted Loomer, according to the New Yorker. She responded, Just stay tuned.

In the middle of the production, Loomer stormed the stage, briefly halting the action and earning a chorus of boos from an audience that just wanted to see some Shakespeare. Theresfootageof the whole thing, including Loomer being removed from the stage as she shouts CNN is ISISthe exact phrase Cernovich suggestedover and over. As Loomer was escorted out, Posobiec stood up and began yelling Nazis and Goebbels at the audience, until he was removed. He alsorecordedhis outburst, possibly because Cernovich wants proof before hell pay out.

Loomer continued yelling even once she was put outside the venue, and police finally showed up at some point to arrest her. She was then led away, upright and intact, like a human being who does not also happen to be an unarmed black kid.

Its important to note that Loomer works for right-wing Canadian media outlet Rebel Media, and untillate May, so did Posobiec. The blogCanadalanddescribes it as a Breitbart-esque site filled with contributors who have called for a new Crusade to expel Muslims from the Holy Land, outlined what they hate about the Jews, and most recently, said thatBritish Muslims are enemy combatants, at least some of whom should beplaced into camps.

Loomer was released hours after her arrest. Rebel Media put up a Free Laura page on its website, including a link to afundraising sectionfor her legal defense fund. Loomer herself alsotweeted a request to support [her] legal defense fund. The link in the message leads to a campaign on WeSearchr, a crowdfunding site thats like a Go Fund Me for hard-right causes. As of this writing, Loomers page has banked more than $12,000. Josh Jordan, whos written for both Forbes and the conservative National Review, poined out that Loomers page previously noted she had a fundraising goal of $25,000, complete with screengrab. That target number has been erased, but the total intake keeps climbing. And presumably, while the Rebel Media Free Laura page doesnt display tallies, thereve been contributions via that site as well.

There are a few things that are curious here, that brought out the social media detectives. The first is that Rebel Media creator Ezra Levant made the Free Laura page at 6pm UTC or 2pm Eastern time, a fullfour hoursbefore Loomer was actually arrested. Its safe to assume that Levant doesnt have the power to see into the future, but that he and the team at Rebel hoped shed get arrested and planned to use the fabricated injustice to raise funds.

Theres also the matter of Loomers hefty request for donations. She faces charges of disorderly conduct and criminal trespass in the third degree. The latter is a class B misdemeanor, while the former is merely a violation, meaning its even less serious. I spoke to Matthew Galluzzo, a New York City criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor for the Manhattan District Attorneys office. He isnt representing Loomer, so he cant speak specifically to her case.

Most people charged with trespass with no criminal record are unlikely to be convicted of a crime or serve jail time, he noted, or have to pay a fine in excess of $120.

In fact, based on the charges she faces, theres no outcome that could account for the funds being requested, unless Loomer has a rap sheet as a serial killer thats been kept hush-hush. So why is Loomer raising so much money? Its unclear, and no one aside from Loomer and Rebel Media know. However, it is worth noting that Levant recently lost a libel case on appeal, which keeps him on the hook foran $80,000fine. Its also true that a company that targeted Breitbart for a boycott has done the same with Rebel Media, which has resulted in the loss of at least one majorcompanypulling ads from the site.

If it seemed incongruous that the new rightwhose members have declared themselves the defenders of free speech and conservationists of Western cultureclaimed to be so outraged by the recent staging of a Shakespeare play, this might explain why. And when the right talks about paid protesters, just assume they personally know whence they speak.

KaliHolloway is a senior writer and the associate editor of media and culture at AlterNet.

This article was made possible by the readers and supporters of AlterNet.

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Read the original:
Paid Protesters? Yes, Sent By The 'Alt-Right' - The National Memo (blog)