FACT FOCUS: A Craigslist ad is not proof of paid protesters in LA. It was posted as a prank
'We are forming a select team of THE TOUGHEST dudes in the area,' the ad, which is no longer live, read. 'This unit will be activated only when the situation demands it — BUT YOU GET PAID EVERY WEEK NO MATTER WHAT. high-pressure, high-risk, no room for hesitation. We need individuals who do not break, panic, or fold under stress and are basically kickass dudes.' It offered $6,500-$12,500 in compensation per week.
But the ad was a prank, it is not related to the Los Angeles protests.
Here's a closer look at the facts.
CLAIM: A Craigslist ad seeking 'the toughest badasses in the city' is proof that Los Angeles demonstrations over immigration raids are made up of paid protesters.
THE FACTS: This is false. The ad, which appeared in Craigslist's Los Angeles section for general labor jobs, was bait for a prank show and had nothing to do with the protests in Los Angeles, the ad's creator told The Associated Press. It was posted on Thursday, the day before the protests began. In a livestreamed episode on Friday, the show's hosts called and spoke with people who responded to the ad.
'I literally had no idea it was ever going to be connected to the riots. It was a really weird coincidence,' said Joey LaFleur, who posted the ad on Craigslist.
The ad was developed as part of a new prank show called 'Goofcon1,' said LaFleur, who hosts the podcast with Logan Quiroz. On their show Friday, the day protests began, they spoke live on the phone with people who responded during Goofcon1's third episode. LaFleur noted during the episode that he also posted a more 'militaristic' version of the ad in Craigslist's Austin section, but didn't get many responses.
Screenshots of the ad were used in social media posts on multiple platforms, cited as proof that those involved in the Los Angeles protests had been paid. The posts gained tens of thousands of likes, shares, and views.
'CALIFORNIA RIOT IS A FUNDED OPERATION,' reads one X post sharing the ad. 'Destabilizing the Trump administration and the United States in general is the goal. Then, they receive billions of federal funding to 'fix' the damage and pocket the money.'
A TikTok video sharing the ad viewed approximately 14,100 times called protesters 'paid agitators' who are turning 'what was initially a peaceful protest of just marching into a full-blown riot.'
Others pointed to the ad as evidence that the protests 'aren't organic' or have been faked by Democrats.
After screenshots of the ad spread on social media, LaFleur posted about the confusion on his Instagram story multiple times.
'Accidentally goofed the entire nation on the latest @goofcon1,' one post reads. In another, he muses: 'I don't really know what to do with any of this. I guess get on Newsmax, or something. If I get on Newsmax, that could be funny.'
False claims about paid protesters regularly spread around demonstrations, especially those that attract national or international attention. Similar false claims spread widely in 2020 during demonstrations over George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police.
___
Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


San Francisco Chronicle
27 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
India says its troops killed 3 suspected militants in Kashmir fighting
SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Indian troops killed three suspected militants in a gunfight in a forested area in disputed Kashmir, officials said Monday. The Indian military in a statement on social media said three militants were killed 'in an intense firefight' in the forested area in Dachigam area, some 30 kilometers (19-miles) northeast of the region's main city of Srinagar. Police Inspector-General Vidhi Kumar Birdi told reporters that the joint operation by the military, paramilitary and police was still ongoing. Officials did not give any other details. The Associated Press couldn't independently verify the details. Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Himalayan Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi's rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels' goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict. Monday's incident is the second major gunfight since a gun massacre in the region in April that killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, in Indian-controlled Kashmir. That led to tit-for-tat military strikes by India and Pakistan that brought the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of their third war over the region. The Indian army also said in May that its soldiers killed three suspected militants in a gunfight. Before the April gun massacre in the Kashmiri resort town of Pahalgam, the fighting had largely ebbed in the region's Kashmir Valley, the heartland of anti-India rebellion and mainly shifted to mountainous areas of Jammu in the last few years. The massacre increased tensions between India and Pakistan, leading to the worst military confrontation in decades and the death of dozens of people until a ceasefire was reached on May 10 after U.S mediation. The region has simmered in anger since New Delhi ended the region's semi-autonomy in 2019 and drastically curbed dissent, civil liberties and media freedoms while intensifying counterinsurgency operations.


Newsweek
28 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Justin Thomas Drops 'Bad News' About Scottie Scheffler's 'Happy Gilmore 2' Performance
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. After nearly three decades, Happy Gilmore is back on screens. The new sequel, "Happy Gilmore 2," premiered globally last week on Netflix and reunites Adam Sandler with his cult-favorite golf character and features a star-studded cast of athletes and celebrities. From PGA Tour legends to LPGA, NFL and LIV Golf pros, the film has quickly become the most talked-about sports comedy of the year. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 21: (L-R) Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Conor Sherry, Phillip Schneider, Bad Bunny, Ethan Cutkosky, Adam Sandler, Kyle Newacheck, Jackie Sandler, John Daly, Sunny Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Sadie Sandler, Fernando Marrero,... NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 21: (L-R) Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Conor Sherry, Phillip Schneider, Bad Bunny, Ethan Cutkosky, Adam Sandler, Kyle Newacheck, Jackie Sandler, John Daly, Sunny Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Sadie Sandler, Fernando Marrero, Lavell Crawford, Julie Bowen, Benny Safdie, Bryson DeChambeau, Oliver Hudson, Scottie Scheffler, Dan Lin, Haley Joel Osment, Jason Young, Ted Sarandos, Joseph Vecsey, Robert Simonds and Bela Bajaria attend the Happy Gilmore 2 World Premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center on July 21, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/for Netflix) More Getty Images But while fans are still laughing at the slapstick chaos and nostalgic callbacks, Justin Thomas had a different kind of reaction -- one that came with a wink and a warning. "I've got some good news and bad news," Thomas typed on Instagram on Sunday. "The good news is I actually think the golfers did pretty well in HG2! Bad news... it appears @ won again. The guy can't miss right now 😂 @netflix" The PGA Tour pro posted the caption alongside a behind-the-scenes clip from the film's shoot. The video featured cameos from Rory McIlroy, Nelly Korda, Bryson DeChambeau and Paige Spiranac, among others. But the spotlight, once again, fell on Scheffler, who, true to form, stole the show. What's Scottie Scheffler's role in Happy Gilmore 2? Scheffler plays a fictionalized version of himself. The two-time Masters winner plays a recurring role in the second half of the film than in the first half. In a comedic exchange, Scheffler asks Sandler's character how to handle physical confrontations on the golf course, poking fun at his own calm reputation in contrast to Happy's notorious hot-headedness. After getting provoked by rival golfer Harley (played by Oliver Hudson), Scheffler throws a textbook hockey-style punch, gets disqualified, and is promptly arrested. "Not again," he quips, referencing his real-life arrest last year amid the PGA Championship in Louisville. And yes, the film goes there. In one of the movie's biggest twists, Scheffler's character ends up getting arrested mid-tournament and tossed into jail. His final scene has him slumped in a jail cell, watching Happy win on a tiny TV screen while fellow inmates cheer. The timing of Scheffler's comedic moment couldn't be more thrilling. Just last week, the World No. 1 clinched his third leg of the career Grand Slam at the 153rd Open Championship, Royal Portrush, finishing 17-under-par with a four-shot victory. Image Collage of Tiger Woods and his former coach Butch Harmon during the 1999 British Open and Scottie Scheffler with the Claret Jug at the 2025 Open Championship. (Image Credits: Getty Images) Image Collage of Tiger Woods and his former coach Butch Harmon during the 1999 British Open and Scottie Scheffler with the Claret Jug at the 2025 Open Championship. (Image Credits: Getty Images) Getty Images It was his fourth major title, placing him alongside legends like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player as players who won the Masters, PGA Championship and Open Championship before turning 30. Thomas's "bad news" jab was clearly tongue-in-cheek, but it echoed a growing sentiment on Tour that Scheffler is in a league of his own. And who knows, as the wind around the golf world says, he is the next Woods. The cast of "Happy Gilmore 2" is a blend of old favorites and new faces. Returning stars included Sandler as Happy Gilmore, Julie Bowen as Virginia Venit, Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin, Ben Stiller as Hal L. While the new additions has Bad Bunny as Oscar Mejías (Happy's caddie), Travis Kelce, Eminem, Post Malone and Spiranac. Additionally, golfers like McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, DeChambeau, Will Zalatoris and Thomas himself. More Golf: Min Woo Lee Cooking With Justin Bieber, Kendall Jenner During Tour Break

Cosmopolitan
28 minutes ago
- Cosmopolitan
Ana de Armas Caught Liking Shady Post About Nicole Kidman
Today in celebrities being messy, Ana de Armas was caught liking an Instagram post speculating about Nicole Kidman's facial work. Which is pretty brow-raising considering Ana's spending a ton of time with Nicole's ex Tom Cruise—to the point where they're fielding dating rumors. The post in question is from February 6, comes from the account @celebmess, and implies that Nicole's claims that she's never used Botox are a lie (they even employed the classic "Sure, Jan" meme). Meanwhile, Ana's like is still on the post as of reporting this. As for what's going on with Tom and Ana, they're starring together in an upcoming thriller. And while it's definitely possible that they're just friendly coworkers, they have been on multiple vacations together recently—prompting speculation that there's something more going on. That said, a source recently told People that Ana is single, and that "Tom is crazy hardworking and she's very excited to work with him. She calls it an opportunity of a lifetime. Tom is an incredible mentor to Ana. She has nothing but amazing things to say about him." Meanwhile, another insider told the Daily Mail that "Tom has been showering Ana with gifts ever since they met, it's his thing, he is thoughtful. First it started with her favorite flowers then books he thought she would want to read because she's an avid reader. The more they got to know each other, the bigger the gifts became. There has been jewelry like gold bracelets and designer clothing, things like that, things every girl would love. Probably the biggest gift he has given her is being able to go anywhere in the world at a moment's notice, not many people can do that. She loves to travel."