Next time you see Maile Hampton or any protester in a yellow shirt with ACCE across it or the logos of other familiar or unfamiliar organizations, remember, those efforts are likely not coming from the heart, but from an invoice, and a check
The Artificial Outrage of Paid Protestors and Rent-A-Mobs
Every day on the news there are stories of well-organized protests. I report from the California State Capitol which almost daily is ground zero for some group protesting a grievance. As a political journalist, I am skeptical of most protests. It does not matter if the protestors are wearing hard hats and orange vests and stand all day in front of an office building under construction, or a prominent restaurant feigning outrage showcasing a giant inflatable rat to passersby.
The recipe is always the same whether it's a faculty walkout, a nurses walkout, minimum wage protests, Wall Street protesters, union members, or recently, students protesting University of California, Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi.