Q: Is there an ad in Craigslist to hire people to riot in L.A.?
A: No, there has been no such ad on Craigslist. Some social media posts cited a Craigslist ad to falsely claim it showed that people protesting the immigration raids in Los Angeles were being paid for their actions. But a pair of podcasters told the Associated Press they placed the ad as a prank for their show, and it had nothing to do with the protests.
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An unfounded claim that people protesting immigration raids in Southern California and elsewhere are being paid for their participation has spread on social media, with posts sharing screenshots of a short-lived Craigslist ad as evidence. The strangely worded ad seeking “BRAVE MEN” for well-paid but unspecified duties makes no mention of protests — and was actually a prank ad placed by podcasters.
Several readers have asked us about the ad and the social media posts.
The posts were aimed at participants in protests that began June 6 in Los Angeles, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers stepped up workplace raids and arrests of people in the U.S. illegally. The Trump administration has deployed National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles to support federal law enforcement and protect federal buildings during the demonstrations. The protests also have spread to other cities throughout the U.S.
Without providing evidence of his claim, President Donald Trump has called the protesters “Paid Insurrectionists!” and “paid troublemakers” in Truth Social posts. Speaking to reporters on June 10, Trump said of the protesters, “I believe many of them are paid,” adding later, “Let me tell you, when you watch these agitators break up concrete and hand it out to people as they stood on line to get it, these have to be paid troublemakers.”
Social media users seized on a Craigslist ad posted June 5 in the Los Angeles area, and with similar language in Austin, to support the claim that the protesters had been hired. “Looking for the toughest badasses in the city (los angeles),” the ad said. “SEEKING EXTREMELY TOUGH, BRAVE MEN FOR NEW CREW IM BUILDING,” it read, but never mentioned participation in protests or demonstrations — or any specific activity at all. The ad offered $6,500 to $12,500 a week.
One Threads post was captioned: “LA ‘protests’ Craigslist ad searching for members. Follow the money.” The accompanying video, which was shared by conservative commentator David J Harris Jr. on Facebook, tied the ad to the anti-Trump protest group No Kings. Another post on X said, “Craigslist ad hiring protesters in L.A.”
But the ad, which was removed from Craigslist in Los Angeles and Austin on June 9 and 10, according to the fact-checking website Snopes, was not placed by anyone who was “hiring protesters.”
A Prank by Podcasters
The bogus ad was a prank placed by a pair of podcasters, Joey LaFleur and Logan Quiroz, the Associated Press reported on June 10. The ad was intended as part of their show, “Goofcon1,” and had nothing to do with the anti-ICE protests. “I literally had no idea it was ever going to be connected to the riots. It was a really weird coincidence,” LaFleur told the AP.
On June 6, the podcasters livestreamed their conversations with people who had answered the ad.
The No Kings organization had no ties to the Craigslist ad, contrary to some social media posts.
The No Kings “About” page says, “No Kings is a nationwide day of defiance. From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism — and show the world what democracy looks like.” The site mainly calls for protests around the country on June 14, the day of a military parade in Washington, D.C., marking the Army’s 250th birthday and the president’s 79th, but also provides dates for organizing sessions, “marshal training” and other preparation for protest events.
The website includes a note at the bottom saying, “A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.”
The site does not mention financial support for the protests. There is a long list of partners listed on the website, but no information about any funding they might provide for the organization.
We reached out to the No Kings organization for comment on the social media posts and whether the organization funds protest activities, but did not receive a response. We also sought comment from Craigslist about the ads, but did not get a response.
Claims that protesters are paid actors is a familiar social media refrain. Baseless claims that counterprotesters were recruited through a Craigslist ad circulated after the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, as we’ve written. Similar false claims about paid participants spread online in 2020 during the social justice protests following the death of George Floyd.
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