George Soros’ foundation denies paying rioters

Updated on

George Soros’ Open Society Foundations has issued a rare statement about the claims that it paid rioters to wreak havoc across the nation. The death of George Floyd has sparked not only protests but also violent riots and widespread damage to property.

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Flyer claims George Soros' organization paid rioters

A photo of a flyer showing an ad for a "professional anarchist" has been circulating over social media. George Soros' Open Society Foundations is listed as paying for rioters' "services." In a statement to NBC News, a spokesperson for the organization called the flyer "false content." The organization also advised social media users to report it to social media platforms as suspicious content.

In a statement posted on its website, the Open Society Foundations said they "abhor violence of any kind, and will not allow the destructive acts of a few to distract us from the crucial work of coming together and forging a better future for all of our neighbors."

"We proudly support organizations that promote civic engagement and champion the right of all Americans to petition their government for redress of grievances," the statement continued. "Those protesting the death of Mr. Floyd and police brutality across the nation do so out of a deep and abiding concern for country; they don't do so for pay from these foundations or any other, as some cynics claim. "Such assertions are false, offensive, and do a disservice to the very bedrock of our democracy, as enshrined in the First Amendment."

The Thurston County Democrats of Washington also denied that the flyer was real in a Facebook post. The flyer contained the wrong contact information for the organization.

Inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr.

The biggest problem African Americans have with their peaceful protests is the fact that rioters and looters are giving them a bad name. Some are comparing the rioting and looting with what happened in the mid-to-late 1960s.

The Hill reminds us of something King said following the Watts riots in 1965. A teenager told King following the riots, "We won!" King responded by asking the young man what he meant because over 30 people died, and all but two were black.

"You've destroyed your own," he added.

The teenager responded by saying that they made the white community "pay attention to us. King said that "a riot is the language of the unheard."

One has to wonder what King would say today about the riots and looting if he were still alive.