Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (podtrac.com) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
Adam Swart is the founder and CEO of Crowds on Demand — a company that literally organizes protests, rallies, and PR stunts for clients across the U.S.
In this interesting conversation, Henry and Danny dig into how this shadowy industry actually works: who pays for demonstrations, how they’re staffed, and where ethics fit in when civic action becomes a paid service.
Swart claims his firm turned down $20 million in offers to organize anti-Trump protests, and insists “paid protestors” aren’t what conspiracy theories make them out to be.
But Danny pushes back — asking whether commodifying civic activism cheapens democracy itself.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro: Who is Adam Swart?
02:00 – How the “Crowds on Demand” model was born
05:00 – The mechanics of paid activism
08:00 – Drawing the ethical line: Who he’ll work with
15:00 – “Protest is advertising, not voting”
20:00 – Does paying people for civic action corrupt democracy?
27:00 – The myth of “grassroots” movements
35:00 – Why Swart turned down $20M in anti-Trump business
44:00 – Vetting protestors and the risk of instability
52:00 – The transparency problem
57:00 – “Paid protestors” and the class divide in outrage
01:02:00 – Swart’s upcoming “Protester Bill of Rights”
Links to our other stuff on the interwebs:
https://www.youtube.com/@BroHistory
https://brohistory.substack.com/
#340
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices