The Justice Department has launched in investigation into the funding sources behind the recent violent anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles. Despite claims from the left that the protests were "mostly peaceful" and spontaneous, evidence shows they were anything but. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, who chairs the Senate subcommittee on Crime & Terrorism, has launched his own investigation. "Who is funding the LA riots? This violence isn't spontaneous," said Hawley in a post on X.
Even professional protesters are questioning the legitimacy of the L.A. riots. Adam Swart, founder and CEO of Crowds on Demand, says his group provides crowds for peaceful and legal protests, and was not involved in the protests in Los Angeles. But in an interview with Fox News, Swart noted some telltale signs that the L.A. protests were not organic. "When you can gather hundreds of people with just a text message within a 10-minute period, that sounds a lot more like a rapid reaction force than a group of passionate demonstrators," he says. "I believe you would have to have people who are likely paid for their time."
Swart adds that many of the L.A. protests involved large groups suddenly showing up at the scene of an ICE operation within a very short notice, which doesn't happen without top-down coordination.
Another red flag that jumped out to Swart was the prominent presence of tactical gear. "Tactical gear is extremely expensive, and the fact that they are passing out hundreds of tactical uniforms is an indication that there is some money from there," he says.
"Who is funding these groups that are passing out tactical gear, and able to organize with moments' notice?" he continues. "Someone is funding these groups, and someone is funding those people."
Photo: AFP