I PAID A PROTESTER!

You know the old Republican trope: “They get paid to protest.”

I’ve always rolled my eyes at that — because I’ve never been paid to stand up for what I believe in, march in the cold, post uncomfortable truths at 7 a.m., or argue with strangers online until my thumbs are tired. Nope. Zip. Nada. So I would always push back when someone claimed protesters were all hired, pocket-lining actors.

Well, it turns out… maybe I was a hypocrite all this time. Not because I suddenly believe protesters get paid as a rule — but because in a round-about, unconventional, absolutely unplanned way… I paid a protester.

And I’m not sorry.

Let me explain.

You’ve almost certainly seen the video by now: a man in a giraffe costume, mic in hand, serenading and mocking ICE agents marching down a Minneapolis street during protests this week. He’s jovial. He’s ridiculous — intentionally so — and in classic viral fashion he’s swept up by federal agents, on camera, in the middle of a moment that has captured national attention. 

The guy’s name is Rob Potylo, also known as Robby Roadsteamer — a Boston-based performer, musical comedian, and longtime activist known for turning costumes and satire into protest art. He’s not some paid agitator from a shadowy liberal factory; he’s a creative person who’s woven performance and activism together for years, touring protests and large demonstrations with a mix of wit and earnest outrage. 

After he was taken into custody, his supporters — including people who actually know him — started a GoFundMe to help with legal costs and other expenses associated with his arrest and possible charges.

And yes, I sent him some dollars.

Yes, I — someone who has long scoffed at the idea of “paid protesters” — gave money to a fundraiser for a protester. Honestly, it struck me as absurdly fitting: a performer with a giraffe suit being booked by federal agents. If there’s a living metaphor for the absurdity of our politics right now, that is it.

But let’s unpack this a little.

If you’ve ever donated to any political campaign, charity, crisis relief, bail fund, or disaster fund — you’ve paid someone who is showing up in the world to make it different. You’ve supported people whose actions are bigger than themselves. That’s what community support does. It’s not payment for compliance. It’s investment in courage.

And Rob? He didn’t get hired to be there. He wasn’t on the government payroll. His approach was performance art and dissent — the same way street musicians risk bad weather and tired feet to play on corners for loose change. The only difference is he’s using his platform to make a statement. That’s activism, not a scripted gig from a corporate playbook.

So yes, I paid a protester. But I didn’t buy a talking point. I supported a person who stood up — in his own theatrical way — against something he believes is wrong and worthy of attention. That’s very different from the lazy Republican claim that protesters are just “paid actors.”

And let’s be honest — if anyone is being paid to protest, it’s overwhelmingly grassroots people pooling their own money for legal help, bail expenses, and keeping themselves fed and warm while they stand in the cold with signs and chants. That’s hardly what the trope implies.

If you want to criticize protest movements, that’s fine — politics should be debateable. But let’s deal in facts, not caricatures. Not every person yelling on a street corner is being funded by shadowy interests; some of them are funded by folks who simply care enough to send a few bucks and say: Go stand. Go speak. Go be seen.

I’m proud I did. And if supporting a giraffe-suit protester is what makes me a “paid protester” donor in someone’s eyes, well, put it on my résumé.

We paid attention. And sometimes, that’s exactly what democracy needs.

Julie Bolejack, MBA

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P.S. I also kicked in a few bucks to the Ford worker suspended without pay for calling Trump a “pedophile protector”.

Who the “giraffe costume protester” is

• The protester is Rob Potylo, better known by his performance name Robby Roadsteamer. He’s a Boston-based performer, musical comedian, activist and content creator who often appears at protests in costume.  
• He was detained by ICE agents in Minnesota this week during anti-ICE protests — videos show him in a giraffe suit being forced down by agents.  
• He has a significant online following across platforms and runs creative work including music, comedy, and web series.  
• After his arrest, supporters launched a GoFundMe for his legal expenses, which has raised notable support online.