George Soros funds Ferguson protests to the tune of $33M?? Is this for real?

eohrnberger · Jan 15, 2015

Been scratchin' my head thinking of the most appropriate forum for this. Hope this is the right one.

George Soros funds Ferguson protests, hopes to spur civil action
Liberal billionaire gave at least $33 million in one year to groups that emboldened activists
By Kelly Riddell - The Washington Times - Wednesday, January 14, 2015

There’s a solitary man at the financial center of the Ferguson protest movement. No, it’s not victim Michael Brown or Officer Darren Wilson. It’s not even the Rev. Al Sharpton, despite his ubiquitous campaign on TV and the streets.

Rather, it’s liberal billionaire George Soros, who has built a business empire that dominates across the ocean in Europe while forging a political machine powered by nonprofit foundations that impacts American politics and policy, not unlike what he did with MoveOn.org.
Mr. Soros spurred the Ferguson protest movement through years of funding and mobilizing groups across the U.S., according to interviews with key players and financial records reviewed by The Washington Times.

In all, Mr. Soros gave at least $33 million in one year to support already-established groups that emboldened the grass-roots, on-the-ground activists in Ferguson, according to the most recent tax filings of his nonprofit Open Society Foundations.

The financial tether from Mr. Soros to the activist groups gave rise to a combustible protest movement that transformed a one-day criminal event in Missouri into a 24-hour-a-day national cause celebre.

“Our DNA includes a belief that having people participate in government is indispensable to living in a more just, inclusive, democratic society,” said Kenneth Zimmerman, director of Mr. Soros‘ Open Society Foundations’ U.S. programs, in an interview with The Washington Times. “Helping groups combine policy, research [and] data collection with community organizing feels very much the way our society becomes more accountable.”

No strings attached

Mr. Zimmerman said OSF has been giving to these types of groups since its inception in the early ‘90s, and that, although groups involved in the protests have been recipients of Mr. Soros‘ grants, they were in no way directed to protest at the behest of Open Society.

“The incidents, whether in Staten Island, Cleveland or Ferguson, were spontaneous protests — we don’t have the ability to control or dictate what others say or choose to say,” Mr. Zimmerman said. “But these circumstances focused people’s attention — and it became increasingly evident to the social justice groups involved that what a particular incident like Ferguson represents is a lack of accountability and a lack of democratic participation.”

George Soros funds Ferguson protests, hopes to spur civil action

Now during the Ferguson protests, demonstrations, and later the riots, I recall a number of times from a number of reporting sources that there were many 'out of towners', non-local people participating in the Ferguson protests, demonstrations, and later the riots. Seems that if this story is true (I mean, isn't the Washington Times supposed to be a reasonable source?), this would certainly explain why and how these non-local protestors, demonstrators, and rioters could afford to camp out in Ferguson for months on end, right?

So first, I'm looking I anyone has come across a confirming source other than a quoting and referring of the Washington Times piece.

Second, since Soros so heavily funded these non-local protestors, demonstrators, and rioters, is he legally liable for the injuries and damages in some form? After all, his spending his money to pay for the mob that was there pretty much caused the fires and looting, right? (Well, OK, maybe not).

Lastly, what do you think? If Soros is not legally liable, what about the possibly questionable morality of causing, directly or indirectly, the injuries, damages, fires, and police overtime?

pbrauer · Jan 15, 2015