BREAKING: Fake Wisconsin Protest Groups Backed by Soros, Tides, Arabella Dark Money

These protesters are not your neighbors.

Perhaps children are born Republicans because when you ask them what they want to be when they grow up, they almost never say "professional protester." And it turns out, protesting is mostly a Democrat thing with lots of money and organization behind it. Soros, Tides, and the mysterious dark money queen, Arabella—these are the names you should think of when you see a motley crew of actors on the side of the road with protest signs you can’t read at full speed.

Fake Views

What? You thought the smattering of protesters who show up with crummy signs mostly at Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany’s events were local folks with true concerns? No, no, no. It’s theater, and like any thespian, some are paid, and others do it just for the attention. That’s why most of them can’t hold a meaningful conversation about the issue on the sign someone handed them.

OK, some make their own signs, but if you have ever been present at the start of a protest, someone always rolls up with a trunk full of signs from the last protest. It explains why one protest can have signs complaining about so many different topics. Others hold professionally printed signs, the hallmark of big financial backing, although people holding homemade-looking signs may also be paid.

It’s called astroturfing, perfected by Barack Obama’s former chief political strategist David Axelrod. When grassroots don’t naturally grow around an issue or candidate, bring in the fake stuff: Astroturf. And it’s more than signs. It might be a fake organization, like "People for Ducks with Raincoats." Just add matching T-shirts and a website.

When Hayden Ludwig, the founder and executive editor at Restoration News, discovered Arabella is the biggest dark money network in America, his exclusive report said, "No one on the Right knows exactly how many such astroturf campaigns the network has spawned over the years, but estimates put it at well over 500 groups since 2006—all of them run from Arabella Advisors’ cushy office in downtown Washington, D.C."

Carrying Signs for Billionaires

Not long ago, Tiffany publicized his public-appearance schedule. That was the signal to a coalition of Democratic operatives to organize the protest actors. Now they won’t leave Tiffany alone.

Protesters try to prime the pump and get real protesters to join them. And no one fact checks signs, so they can say anything. On the side of the road, a catchy sign has a shot at putting basic ideas in the minds of people who otherwise are not paying attention to politics.

Who is astroturfing Tiffany to benefit Democrat David Crowley? Think No Kings rallies. A lot of the same groups.

Indivisible is a big No Kings promoter. It has member groups, each named "Indivisible [Location]" all across the state. Indivisible Wisconsin lists protest dates on its website, hosted by the local Indivisible group.

"Come stand with your sign and let [Tiffany] know we’re paying attention. We’ll be there with huge banners and handmade signs to stand with you. Bring a sign. Bring a neighbor. Wisconsin's future is on the line." All the Indivisible events use the same language.

Local Indivisible groups can use ActBlue to raise money and get some small grants and reimbursements from national Indivisible. Groups are encouraged to raise their own money. If you attend a local Indivisible meeting and they ask for dues, it feels like a shoestring operation, but they know where to find money when they want it.

The Soros family's Open Society Foundations gave $7.6 million to Indivisible from 2017 to 2023. Indivisible has also picked up fat checks from:

Indivisible Action, a political action committee, raised nearly $11 million from January 2025 to October 14, 2026, mostly through small gifts.

Many protesters like to complain about billionaires. But it turns out billionaires paid someone to mobilize them to hold those signs. Good thing they’re actors.

Astro-Rage

An angry woman from Climate Defiance recently ambushed Tiffany at an event in a tavern. She made sure someone recorded video before she got in his face and badgered him about a company spilling natural gas in Wisconsin in August, then dropped the Left’s latest shock words, "You’re actively defending pedophiles in federal government like Donald Trump." Tiffany remained polite, but she was like a thirsty tick on a sheepdog. The same protester crashed Gov. Tony Evers Wisconsin Association for Justice dinner, shouting him down while he tried to give a speech. She screamed political stuff that she would want us to print here. Blah, blah, blah. Two state police officers had to remove her. She converted no one to her cause.

She gets around: This pro protester seen at multiple WI political events. Will be able to get a REAL job after Tom Tiffany wins the Gov race and turns WI's economy around. 2 events 2 DIFFERENT parties 1 unhinged protester Where will she and her pals turn up next? https://t.co/GI0yJxXRSE

— Restoration News (@NewsRestoration) October 29, 2026

This manufactured rage is a tactic often used by Climate Defiance, based in Jersey City, New Jersey, ironically a city mostly sealed in cement, directly across the water from New York City.

Climate Emergency Fund gave $243,292 to its charity arm and $250,000 to its advocacy arm, both in 2024. This covered more than 90 percent of Climate Defiance's first year.

Climate Emergency Fund gives seed money to new movements. The fund gets its money from:

Someone from these funds looked at Climate Defiance’s motto and said, yes, pay them.

"We do not do petitions. We do direct action. We will defeat fossil fuel fascism. We will defy Trump. There is no other choice," says the motto.

They are professional brats.

Debate Protesters 

Tiffany protesters were even standing outside the venue for the October 21 debate with Crowley. The accomplice media was happy to put them on TV. It was an attempt to rattle Tiffany. It didn’t work. Crowley still got wrecked in the debate.

The Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, helped organize members on its mobilize site. "Protest MAGA Tiffany before the Debate," was the call to action. The union can’t officially engage in politics, so the union promotes political activities, and, in this case, the Wisconsin Working Families Party (WFP) used union members to staff its debate protest.

WFP, based in Brooklyn, New York, endorses Crowley. They are basically Socialists, making the same promises as the Democrat Socialists of America (DSA). Their plan is, "Tax the rich and get big money out of politics." These fakes should start with themselves. WTP had gross receipts of $55.4 million in 2024. That year it donated to numerous causes in many states including $100,000 to Arab Americans for Progress in Dearborn, Michigan; $25,000 to Hmong American Woman’s Association in Milwaukee; $25,000 to Grassroots Organizing Western Wisconsin (GROWW) in River Falls; $25,000 to Pastors United Community Advocacy Inc. in Milwaukee; $25,000 to Southeast Asian Action Waunakee; $25,000 Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance, Milwaukee; $25,000 Wisconsin Public Education Network $25,000.

WFP has a sign-up page too, with protests planned at the rest of Tiffany’s stops. Its page says the protests are "hosted by Wisconsin Shows Up."

"Come stand with your sign and let [Tiffany] know we’re paying attention. We’ll be there with huge banners and handmade signs to stand with you. Bring a sign. Bring a neighbor. Wisconsin's future is on the line." It’s the same pitch Indivisible uses, right down to the photo of protesters. Different websites, different groups, same words, and photos. It’s an enormous, coordinated effort. That is: it’s totally fake.

No one feels strongly enough to protest Tiffany without a lot of organizing, and word on the street is that there were some offers of protester payment, although we were not able to verify that. Even so, only a handful of people show up at each event.

The WFP site also has ads to mobilize door knockers in Michigan to promote Radical DSA member Abdule El-Sayed for U.S. Senate.

When you see some actors on the side of the road waving some signs about Tiffany, remember Crowley and Abdule El-Sayed have the same supporters; they are cut from the same cloth.

Think of the $55 million New York "nonprofit" that believes you are gullible enough to buy what their lying activists are selling.

Choose a candidate who is not trying to trick you.

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