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As anti-Trump protesters crowded the steps below the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, the media painted a good picture. NBC4 Washington Announce On social media: “Popular groups descend on DC to participate in the People’s March ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration.” Associated Press I mentioned Anti-Trump demonstrators are “gathering” in Washington, D.C. to participate in protests led by the Women's March, a “grassroots movement.”
The Washington Post described The protests were described as a “joint effort between civil rights, racial, social justice, and reproductive health organizations,” highlighting the “diverse mix of people” at the event.
While this positive media coverage may have captured the energy of ordinary protesters, they omitted an important detail: the name of the professional, for-profit machine behind the protest.
Thousands of left-wing demonstrators descend on Washington to protest Trump's inauguration
Far from the spontaneous flow of civic action, the event was previously coordinated Motion Catalyst LLCa for-profit company based in Silver Spring, Maryland, is the official permit holder for the protests, according to A copy of the permitwhich was obtained from the US National Park Service. In the 1990s, while covering international trade for The Wall Street Journal, I was among the first reporters to coin the term “AstroTurf” in the paper’s pages, describing a coalition against tariffs on minivans that the auto industry called “popular” but that were actually built from By industry lobby group. Organizing protests is not much different these days, and today's “people's march” is more of an artificial turf than a “grassroots” event. Likewise for the march scheduled for Monday, where we can expect more aggressive rabble-rousers to appear, as happened to me. I mentioned Earlier this week.
Management Catalyst carefully planned the “People's March on Washington” on Saturday. (Movement Catalyst LLC website)
The plan, marked “Confidential Document – Not for Distribution” and submitted as part of the permit application, reveals that Catalyst and its team of professional protest organizers coordinated everything from security to trash pick-ups, “receptacles” and meticulous disinfection. “Detailed view”
The confidential document reveals the extraordinary precision with which the event was created, right down to the golf carts and water stations and even the distribution of snacks to employees.
Records reviewed by Fox News Digital show a meticulously planned event for the “People's March on Washington.” (US National Park Service)
Why does this matter? Because the public deserves transparency. When the media portrays such events as grassroots events, led by ordinary Americans gathering to express their concerns, it distorts reality. These are highly coordinated and well-funded initiatives led by professional organizers. The lack of scrutiny obscures the financial, strategic, and political interests behind these movements. It is very important to follow the money and understand the players who use images of grassroots activism to advance their agendas. Too often, the media views conservative events, such as the March for Life, with suspicion and scrutiny, while progressive issues are considered “popular.” We must have transparency and equal opportunity.
So, what is Movement Catalyst LLC? according to Washington, D.C., government recordsMovement Catalysts, Inc., is a limited liability company founded in February 2021. Movement Catalysts touts its for-profit services on its website, writing that it is “an experienced, multidisciplinary team of strategists, organizers, activists, and researchers” who launch “strategic projects to address their needs.” “For now,” he said, “partnering with organizations to expand their ability to make an impact, and solidify the movement’s infrastructure.” Its officials did not respond to a request for comment.
The statement was legal, but the public should know that the protest was not spontaneous or organic, Asra Nomani wrote. (US National Park Service)
The People's March is one of those “strategic projects”, and the company's services include “strategy and campaign development” and “protests and creative events”. A look at its finances reveals the scale of its operations. In 2021, Movement Catalyst LLC received $592,050 from the New York-based Sustainable Markets Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, to “develop web campaigns,” according to its filings File IRS Form 990. Then, in 2023, Philadelphia-based United Workers United, which works to “organize unorganized collective bargaining,” paid a total of $319,600 to Movement Catalyst LLC, according to its data. Tax filing. Services provided? “advisor.” This is far from a “popular” process done at the kitchen table.
The confidential document lists four senior Movement Catalyst officials as “protest leaders”:
- Abby Henderson, a partner at Movement Catalyst and the organization's registered agent, is the “production and vendor leader” for the protest.
- Bill Ragen, Partner at Movement Catalyst, is the Production and Vendor Lead.
- Liz Butler, another partner at Movement Catalyst, is also a “production and vendor leader.”
- Samantha “Sam” Miller, “collaborator” at Movement Catalyst, is responsible for “overall coordination.” In National Park Service application, she is the “responsible person.” Miller He was Director at a former professional protest firm, DC Action Lab, which was hired by Women's March and others to organize protests during the first Trump administration.
The document also includes a laminated staff and volunteer map, marked “For Internal Use – Staff and Volunteers,” detailing traffic flow and staging areas in Franklin Park, McPherson Square, and Farragut Square. The “Popular Parade Production Schedule” reveals the detailed level of planning: “portable toilets,” “golf carts,” “tents,” “stage,” tables, “chairs,” “flyers, fliers,” “banners and banners,” and “ Bullhorns” and the motion stimulator for “Paid Team Clean Up.”
Nomani wrote that the “People's March on Washington” was carefully engineered by a for-profit corporation. (US National Park Service)
The “miscellaneous” items include walkie-talkies, “500 cardboard trash containers,” “5,000 masks,” hand sanitizer, earbuds, “snacks for volunteers and staff,” “coffee and catering for staff,” sweatshirts, and scarves. , t-shirts, “office supplies” and “employee badges.”
Mortel Industries Metro Golf Car provided bathroom trailers, delivered the golf carts, and Bell Visuals managed the live broadcast. The permit lists “Site Security” as “Omni Ranger Solutions.” Bell visualsa DC company quietly behind several protest message projects across the nation's capital, is listed among the vendors for the live stream.
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The Production Schedule and Run of the Show/Rally Program were written with leaders and performers from several big-money organizations, including the Women's March, Grassroots Democracy in Action, Stand Up for Racial Justice, Harriet's Wildest Dreams, and Dream Defenders . The Catalyst movement promised at least 750 “recognizable guards,” each wearing “high-visibility vests and volunteer credentials.”
This level of professionalism is not new in modern protests, but rarely have details been revealed so clearly. The public has a right to know when well-funded organizations use the guise of grassroots activism to advance their interests. Transparency ensures accountability and allows for a more informed discussion about the role of professional activity in shaping public discourse.
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Behind the music, speeches and banners lies a highly coordinated process, far removed from the popular images presented by the media. This is important because democracy thrives on truth, and understanding who is pulling the strings is essential for an informed citizenry. Professional organizing is certainly legal, but in this day of widespread misinformation, it is important to examine who is leading movements that are portrayed as “grassroots,” so that the public is not misled.
Sunday morning plans, from 4 a.m. to 5 a.m., include one final essential item: “Load trash cans and portable bathrooms.”
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