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Smoke, Mirrors and "Crowds on Demand"

Clayton Cramer makes another great find. A business named "Crowds on Demand" was advertising for "enthusiastic actors and photographers in the Charlotte, NC area to participate in our events. Our events include everything from rallies to protests to corporate PR stunts to celebrity scenes." I love the "actors" part. They offer $25/hour (full time equivalent of $50,000/year) plus costs.

I looked them up: here's their website.

"Are you looking to create a buzz anywhere in the United States? At Crowds on Demand, we provide our clients with protests, rallies, flash-mobs, paparazzi events and other inventive PR stunts. . . . We provide everything including the people, the materials and even the ideas. You can come to us with a specific plan of action and we can make it happen. OR, you can approach us with a general idea and we can help you plan the strategy then execute it."

Under "Protests and Rallies" they advertise:

"Whether your organization is lobbying to move forward a healthcare, financial or other social initiative, we can organize rallies and get media attention for your causes and candidates. We also assist individuals, companies and political organizations with protests and picketing campaigns. We've protested governments, corporations and everything in between."

They give a case study of a new foreign leader (we are left with the impression his reputation was none too good) for whom they organized hired rallies at the UN, which resulted in favorable press.

Note the ad was for Charlotte, NC, not Charlottesville, VA. I'm just interested that such a company exists, pays so well for "actors" to protest, and must have a comfortable profit margin (its HQ is on Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles, where rent is not cheap).