Asra Nomani: the professional protest organization behind today's People's March

On Saturday, anti-Trump protesters swarmed the lower steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and the media painted a feel-good portrait. “Grassroots organizations are gathering in the nation's capital for a people's march ahead of President-elect Trump's inauguration,” NBC4 Washington declared on social media. The Associated Press reported that anti-Trump “demonstrators” were “gathering” in Washington, D.C., for a protest led by the “grassroots movement” Women's March.

The Washington Post described the protest as a “joint effort of civil rights, racial and social justice, and reproductive health organizations,” highlighting the event's “diverse mix of people.” did.

While this positive media coverage may have captured the energy of ordinary protesters, it omitted an important detail: the name of the commercial professional organization behind the protests.

Thousands of left-wing demonstrators gather in Washington to protest Trump's inauguration

Far from being a spontaneous civic movement, the event was coordinated by Movement Catalyst LLC, a for-profit company based in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the protest's official permit holder, according to a copy of the permit. It was something like that. Obtained from the U.S. National Park Service. In the 1990s, when I covered international trade for the Wall Street Journal, I coined the term “astroturf” to refer to what the auto industry called a “grassroots” coalition opposing tariffs on manufactured minivans. He was one of the first reporters to write for the paper. By an industry lobby group. The organization of protests has not changed much, and today's “people's marches” are more like astroturfs than “grass roots.” As we reported earlier this week, the march planned for Monday is similar, with more aggressive insurgents expected to emerge then.

According to plans marked “Confidential – Do Not Distribute” and submitted as part of the permit application, Movement Catalyst and its team of professional protest organizers will be responsible for everything from security to picking up trash cans and “bringing in toilets.” , it was revealed that everything, even the installation of the toilets, had been meticulously arranged. Detailed “show progress”,

Confidential documents reveal that the event was constructed with incredible precision, from the golf carts to the water stations to the distribution of snacks to staff.

Records reviewed by Fox News Digital show a carefully planned event for the People's March on Washington. (U.S. National Park Service)

Why is this important? Because the public demands transparency. When the media frames events like this as grassroots events led by ordinary Americans coming together to voice their concerns, it misrepresents reality. These are highly coordinated and well-funded efforts driven by professional organizers. The lack of oversight obscures the financial, strategic, and political interests behind these movements. It is important to track funding and understand the players who use the image of grassroots activism to advance their agendas. Often, the media tends to characterize progressive movements as “grass roots” while viewing conservative events like the March for Our Lives with skepticism and scrutiny. We need equal opportunity transparency.

So what is Movement Catalyst LLC? According to government records in Washington, D.C., the company is a limited liability company formed in February 2021. On its website, Movement Catalysts advertises its for-profit services and says it is “an experienced, multidisciplinary team of strategists, organizers, campaigners, and researchers.” Launching “strategic projects to respond to this moment” and partnering with organizations to “expand our ability to make an impact and anchor movement infrastructure.” Officials did not respond to requests for comment.

All the permits were legal, but the public should know that the protests were neither spontaneous nor organic, writes Asra Nomani. (U.S. National Park Service)

The People's March is one such “strategic project,” and the company's services include “strategy and campaign development” and “creative protests and events.” Looking at the funds will reveal the scale of the business. In 2021, Movement Catalyst LLC received $590,000 from the Sustainable Markets Foundation, a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, for “web campaign development,” according to an IRS Form 990 filing. Received $2050. And in 2023, Philadelphia-based Workers United paid a total of $319,600 to Movement Catalyst LLC for its efforts to “organize unorganized collective bargaining,” according to its tax filings. What services are provided? “Consultancy.” This is far from a “grassroots” family-run operation carried out on the kitchen table.

The classified document lists four of Movement Catalyst's top officials as “protest leaders.”

Abby Henderson, a partner at Movement Catalyst and the organization's registered agent, is the protest's “production and vendor lead.” Bill Ragen, Partner at Movement Catalyst, is the “Production and Vendor Leader.” Another Movement Catalyst partner, Liz Butler, is the protest's “production and vendor lead.” ” is also a “leader in production and vendors.” Samantha “Sam” Miller, an “associate” with Movement Catalyst, says she is a “responsible person” on the National Park Service application. Miller was the director of DC Action Lab, the former professional protest firm that Women's March and others hired to organize the protests. During the first Trump administration.

The document includes a sophisticated map for staff and volunteers marked “For Internal Use – Staff and Volunteers” detailing traffic flows and staging areas in Franklin Park, McPherson Square, and Farragut Square. is also included. The “Production Schedule for the Great People's March'' shows the granularity of the project, including “portable toilets,'' “golf carts,'' “tents,'' “stages,'' “tables,'' “chairs,'' “flyers and pamphlets,'' and “signboards and banners.'' ”, “Bullhorn”, and “Paid Team Cleanup” movement catalyst.

The People's March on Washington was carefully choreographed by commercial companies, Nomani writes. (U.S. National Park Service)

“Other” items include walkie-talkies, “500 cardboard bins,” “5,000 masks,” hand sanitizer, earphones, “snacks for volunteers and staff,” “coffee and catering for staff,” and sweatshirts. , scarves, T-shirts, “office supplies” and “employee badges.”

Mortell Industries provided the toilet trailers, “Metro Golf Car” provided the golf carts, and Bell Visuals managed the live streaming. The permit states that “site security” is “OmniRanger Solutions.” Bell Visuals, the D.C. company behind many protest messaging projects around the nation's capital, is listed as a livestreaming vendor.

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“Production Schedules” and “Show/Rally Program Execution” are provided by many large organizations, including Women’s March, People for Democracy in Action, Stand Up for Racial Justice, Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, and Dream Defenders. Scripts were written by leaders and performers. Movement Catalyst promised to provide at least 750 “identifiable marshals,” each wearing “high-visibility vests and volunteer credentials.”

This level of professionalism is not new in modern protests, but the details are rarely disclosed so clearly. The public has a right to know when well-funded organizations are disguised as grassroots efforts to advance their own interests. Transparency ensures accountability and enables a more informed debate about the role of professional activity in shaping public debate.

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Behind the music, speeches and banners lies a highly coordinated movement that is far removed from the grassroots image portrayed by the media. This is important because democracies thrive on truth and understanding who is pulling the strings is essential for an informed public. There is no doubt that professional organizing is legitimate, but in this day and age of misinformation, it is important to investigate who is driving the supposedly “grassroots” movements so that the general public is not misled. is important.

The plan for Sunday morning from 4 a.m. to 5 a.m. includes one final imperative: “Load the trash cans and portable toilets.”

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