In Minneapolis It's the Taxpayers Who Pick Up the Tab for Anti-ICE Activism

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

It's not just the protesters who get paid to act like toddlers having a tantrum. 

Here in Minnesota, the city and sometimes the state will actually pay businesses to take part in the "spontaneous" activism. 

Advertisement

Minnesota politicians are crying crocodile tears about how much the ICE surge into Minnesota cost our business community, failing to note that the costs accrued were entirely the result of activism that the government officials at the state and local level egged on. 

Not just egged on. In many cases, it was grants from the city and state that helped fund the organizers, and it was state and local government officials who fed information to the Signal chat groups that coordinated the roving riots. 

Now the governor is floating the idea of "forgivable" loans (payments) to businesses that government officials actually encouraged to close in protest of ICE activities. 

That's not a joke. The government recruited businesses to close to create the sense that chaos is hurting our economy, and is now making them whole.

Advertisement

It's all a big show, and it is being funded by Minnesota's taxpayers. 

Not so long ago, I wrote about Minnesota's version of Pallywood, in which an alternate version of reality is created for the cameras to spread a completely inauthentic narrative that is aimed at people who only get the curated version of reality. 

Government-funded NGOs are a key part of the Minnewood infrastructure. They get money from the government, coordinate with government officials, are deeply tied into the Pravda ecosystem, and have ground troops organized through "community activists." They are tied in with the teachers' unions and the Service Employees International Union (which, by the way, recruits illegal aliens for their unions). 

They can create a crowd at a moment's notice. Complete with kids, college students, union activists, paid protesters, and hangers-on. 

It's an ecosystem, and taxpayers pick up the tab. 

I gotta move. 

Editor's note: If we thought our job in pushing back against the Academia/media/Democrat censorship complex was over with the election, think again. This is going to be a long fight. If you want to join the conversation in the comments -- and support independent platforms -- why not join our VIP Membership program? Choose VIP to support Hot Air and access our premium content, VIP Gold to extend your access to all Townhall Media platforms and participate in this show, or VIP Platinum to get access to even more content and discounts on merchandise. Use the promo code FIGHT to join or to upgrade your existing membership level today, and get 60% off!

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Trending on HotAir Videos

Advertisement
David Strom 4:40 PM | February 16, 2026
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement