Occupy Wall Street: Are protesters being paid?
Conservatives insist that a Craigslist ad from the liberal Working Families Party proves that the Left is hiring protesters for $350-$650 a week
![Protesters gather on the Brooklyn Bridge: A Craiglist ad posted by the liberal Working Families Party is being touted by conservatives as proof that Wall Street's Occupiers are being paid by](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZU42sVRoGvThVeKWnzcNKA-415-80.jpg)
A reader at the conservative blog PowerLine has spotted a Craigslist ad from New York's progressive Working Families Party, which is apparently looking to hire people for $350 to $650 a week to "fight to hold Wall Street accountable." (See a screenshot below.) The "immediate hires" must be "outgoing, articulate, dedicated, determined," and "energetic communicators," the ad says. But "this is not a policy job! Through direct action you will be shaping NY state politics for the next 20 years." Outraged conservatives read this as liberals paying people to attend the Occupy Wall Street protests. Is this proof the Left is secretly bankrolling the movement?
This sure looks like Astroturfing to me: The ad doesn't specify what you're supposed to do for $350 a week, says Ed Morrissey at Hot Air. But "the headline strongly suggests that the position entails getting paid to protest," and "'direct action' usually means protesting." The most obvious explanation, then, is that "WFP wants Astroturfers, presumably to join other Astroturfers," on Wall Street. It would be interesting to know how many of the occupiers are already on WFP's payroll.
"Political party paying Occupy Wall Street protesters?"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This conspiracy theory is just "silly": This isn't the first right-wing attempt at "'exposing' the secret liberal money behind the Wall Street occupation," says Harry Siegel at The Village Voice. But it might be the dumbest. The ad's obviously the kind liberal groups like WFP "have run for years, under some topical banner, to find kids willing to take low-paying, rather lousy canvassing jobs." If any of these conspiracy-mongers had bothered to call WFP, they'd look much less foolish now.
"Right-wing sites succumb to silly Occupy Wall Street conspiracies"
The protesters are pro bono — and anti-Obama: "Occupy Wall Street is confusing to many Americans," not just right-wing bloggers, says David Weider at MarketWatch. But after talking to participants for a month, I can say with certainty that "not one is getting paid to protest." Quite the opposite: Many of them "have sacrificed income to march." And there's one more way I know they're not paid Democratic shills: Almost every one "complained about Obama and how he's pandered to Wall Street interests."
"5 myths of Occupy Wall Street"
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Why Roman epic Those About to Die has split the critics
Talking Point Sword and sandals miniseries starring Anthony Hopkins puts spectacle above story
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Why is China stockpiling resources?
The Explainer The superpower has been amassing huge reserves of commodities at great cost despite its economic downturn
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Paraguay's dangerous dalliance with cryptocurrency
Under The Radar Overheating Paraguayans are pushing back over power outages caused by illegal miners
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court rejects challenge to CFPB
Speed Read The court rejected a conservative-backed challenge to the way the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published