Not only was Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in pretend handcuffs on Tuesday, it was all pretty much part of a staged arrest — and brought to you courtesy of George Soros.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, AOC admitted that she and 16 other lawmakers who were arrested outside of the Supreme Court had been asked to “submit themselves for arrest” there by the Center for Popular Democracy Action Fund to protest the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
As the Washington Examiner notes, that’s a “progressive dark money group funded by billionaire George Soros.” While the group isn’t required to disclose its donor list, as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, the co-executive director of the group told The Washington Post in 2018 that Soros’ Open Society Foundations provides over $1 million a year in funding to the organization and the Center for Popular Democracy, a related group.
(It’s hardly a surprise that Soros was involved, of course, given that the progressive billionaire has tried to put his thumb on the scales of American democracy on any number of issues — particularly criminal justice reform and abortion. We’ll keep bringing America the truth about Soros’ malign influence. You can help us by subscribing.)
In the Instagram post, AOC said the move was “an activist-led civil disobedience,” which “is very different than a ‘publicity stunt’ planned and led by members themselves for a headline.”
(Apparently, even if it’s a ginned-up event specifically to gain mainstream media attention, it’s not a “publicity stunt” as long as it’s “planned and led” by someone else looking to create headlines. Got it, Representative.)
AOC said she got herself arrested “[b]ecause media cycles go FAST and the attention and urgency on Roe can easily fade. We must keep eyes on the issue. Civil disobedience is a highly effective way of accomplishing that, and it is a trained discipline.”
It’s apparently not a discipline she’d been trained enough in, however, since she faked being in handcuffs — then outed herself by breaking character to raise a fist:
AOC PRETENDS to be *handcuffed* in fake arrest protesting Supreme Court — then raises her fist, breaking her fake handcuffs
CLOWN WORLD LOL pic.twitter.com/nlvrDHV2Tj
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 19, 2022
After South Carolina GOP Rep. Nancy Mace called her out on it, AOC insisted she wasn’t faking: “Putting your hands behind your back is a best practice while detained, handcuffed or not, to avoid escalating charges like resisting arrest.”
No faking here. Putting your hands behind your back is a best practice while detained, handcuffed or not, to avoid escalating charges like resisting arrest.
But given how you lied about a fellow rape survivor for “points,” as you put it to me, I don’t expect much else from you. pic.twitter.com/lUc1TPS21D
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 20, 2022
Mace responded by noting that she broke this “best practice” by “breaking your fake handcuff pose for a good fist pump and shout out to the crowd – looking ‘tough’!” Whoops.
Idk. Here you are @aoc breaking your fake handcuff pose for a good fist pump and shout out to the crowd – looking “tough”! Good theater though… ???♀️? https://t.co/0kfihuevYa pic.twitter.com/68rjopkdMi
— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) July 20, 2022
It wasn’t just AOC bragging about the orchestrated arrest, however.
Half an hour before the lawmakers began the protest, a spokesman for fellow “squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota — also an arrestee — tweeted that the Soros-funded group would be livestreaming the event.
.@CPDAction is livestreaming it. Follow along! https://t.co/YfwkHGUp74
— Jeremy Slevin (@jeremyslevin) July 19, 2022
CPD Action also said on Facebook that some of its leaders were among the 18 individuals who aren’t elected Democrats who got themselves arrested at the protest on Tuesday.
“Moments ago, leaders from CPD Action network organizations, members of Congress & more participated in a powerful civil disobedience demonstration & got arrested to protect our RIGHT to SAFE & LEGAL abortions,” the Soros-funded group posted.
“This is a clear message to SCOTUS and lawmakers that #WeWontBackDown until ALL pregnancy-abled people are treated as full human beings with the autonomy to make decisions about OUR OWN bodies.”
“Pregnancy-abled people.” Well, that’s a new one. Beyond that, however, this is the same old astroturfing story.
Not only was this “civil disobedience” painfully fake, it didn’t even arise out of organic anger. AOC’s pretend handcuffs were the perfect metaphor for the whole endeavor:
Is the mainstream media covering up George Soros’ influence in leftist politics?
A bunch of elected officials took great pains to make it look like they were sacrificing themselves like the martyrs of the civil rights movement. Instead, this was all a put-together event so that the mainstream media could snag a few photographs and give far-left, pro-abortion Democratic legislatures some good publicity.
Shame that it all looked every bit like the cynical scam that it was. Better luck next time.
