In July 2024, the US intelligence chief Avril Haines answered exactly that question. Iranian regime actors had been promoting themselves as activists online. They encouraged ongoing Gaza protests. And in some cases, they paid demonstrators directly. Most of those participating did so in good faith, as Haines clearly stated. But the system was being exploited. Consciously.
The UK has seen the same pattern for longer. As early as 2023, the police warned against Iranian involvement in the protests. This report describes a network centered around the British protest wave, including Iran and Qatar, with terrorist groups and Islamist movements around it, and left-wing organizations and protest groups in another ring.
At least eleven of the 40 organizations have their own ties to Iran, the IRGC, Hamas, Hezbollah, or the Muslim Brotherhood. Two of them, CAGE and Palestine Action, also accept money via cryptocurrency. Palestine Action received its status as a terrorist organization from a British court as late as June of this year.
At the same time, it is no secret that part of the money comes from the US. Politico has shown that organizations in the protest environment have received significant support from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and networks linked to the Open Society.
Qatar has also been pumping billions into American universities for decades. This has been documented for a long time. The fact that the same regime is also trying to influence and support protests in the West is not a conspiracy theory.
This is confirmed by the US intelligence service and backed by British police reporting, journalistic revelations, and NGO mapping.
Does this mean that every person on the street is bought?
No.
But the organization and parts of the money behind these demonstrations are not as populist as they want to appear.
Sources:
DNI and Avril Haines:
NGO Monitor, Imported Influence:
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