Activists released on bail after ‘Free Palestine’ bridge protest – Democratic Party benefits from fundraising efforts
The A15 protesters, including one wearing a Hamas bandana, faced arrests across the United States during a coordinated effort to disrupt economic hubs in solidarity with Palestine. ActBlue’s fundraising platform facilitated legal defense donations for the arrested activists, earning a percentage from each contribution. The events underscore a connection between supporting Palestinian causes and Democratic Party affiliations.
ActBlue to receive nearly 4 percent of legal defense donations for arrested protesters
Police across the United States arrested dozens of “Free Palestine” protesters Monday as part of a “multi-city economic blockade” targeting major airports, highways, and bridges. Those defendants are set to receive free bail money and legal assistance thanks to an online fundraiser hosted by ActBlue, the Democratic Party’s primary fundraising platform that earns a cut off of each contribution.
The “bail and legal defense fund,” organized by A15 Action and Community Justice Exchange, remains live on ActBlue’s website roughly 24 hours after the protests caused chaos in cities such as San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City. The fundraising platform—which is used by President Joe Biden and every major Democratic congressional campaign—earns a 3.95 percent transaction fee each time a donor contributes to the fund, according to its policies.
ActBlue’s website states that its fundraising platform is exclusively available to groups whose “work is not at odds with values including, but not limited to, social equality; women’s rights; LGBTQIA2S+ rights; racial justice; diversity; freedom of speech; disability rights; and respect for scientific inquiry, discovery, and data.”
The link between ActBlue raising funds for activists that deliberately “coordinate[d] to disrupt and blockade economic logistical hubs and the flow of capital” in solidarity with “Palestine” highlights the blurred boundary between the Democratic Party’s anti-Israel faction and its mainstream establishment.
ActBlue did not respond to a request for comment.
Protesters on Monday aimed to disrupt economic “choke points” to maximize financial disruption, as stated on their website. Activists were advised to refrain from engaging with police, with the promise of receiving “money bail, court fees and fines” and other legal services from Community Justice Exchange upon arrest.
Protests took place in dozens of U.S. cities including San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia, but the group listed more than 50 participating cities worldwide.
In Chicago, for instance, dozens of protesters disrupted access to O’Hare International Airport for nearly an hour, prompting some travelers to walk to the airport with their luggage. Likewise, in San Francisco, protesters caused traffic delays on the Golden Gate Bridge, while in Oakland, Calif., demonstrators blocked all lanes on Interstate 880.
At the A15 protest on Wall Street, protesters were photographed wearing Hamas bandanas and flying Hezbollah flags. Banks located nearby were vandalized with red spray paint and graffiti that read, “Funder of Genocide” and “Free Gaza.” Those demonstrators later blocked the Brooklyn Bridge.
Police nationwide made dozens of arrests related to the protests, and defendants are slated to receive assistance from Community Justice Exchange, a project of the Tides Center—a left-wing dark money network funded by George Soros and other prominent liberal billionaires like Pierre Omidyar.
The Tides Center serves as a hub for a variety of left-wing groups, such as the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, channeling substantial funds from affluent donors to these groups and functioning as a “fiscal sponsor,” enabling them to sidestep IRS registration. Some of these groups are known for their anti-Israel activism.
The Tides Center, for example, fiscally sponsors the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, which last year organized a “direct action” protest that attempted to block a U.S. military ship bound for Israel from leaving a port in Washington. It also sponsors the Adalah Justice Project, one of America’s most vocal Hamas apologists.
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