This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

'He had to read the paper he was given to understand the sign he was holding'

Were the weekend "Hands Off!" demonstrations protesting President Donald Trump and his DOGE leader Elon Musk authentic?

Videos emerging on social media are casting doubt, as some of the protesters apparently had no idea why they were there.

On Saturday, as the Associated Press reported, the events "were organized for more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists."
"Thousands of protesters in cities dotting the nation from Midtown Manhattan to Anchorage, Alaska, including at multiple state capitols, assailed Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's actions on government downsizing, the economy, immigration and human rights. On the West Coast, in the shadow of Seattle's iconic Space Needle, protesters held signs with slogans like 'Fight the oligarchy.' Protesters chanted as they took to the streets in Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles, where they marched from Pershing Square to City Hall."

But videos posted on social media suggest the events were artificial, with people being paid and bussed-in, with little idea about the reason for their presence.

Journalist Mario Nawfal said they were "staged & paid – bussed-in, scripted, clocked-out."

"The anti-Elon, anti-DOGE, anti-Trump protests in D.C.? They aren't grassroots. They are payroll-driven theater.

"- Buses rolled in packed with hired protesters.
"- Pre-made signs handed out assembly-line style.
"- Scripts distributed to keep messaging "on brand."
"- Protesters all left at once—just like a shift change.

"The protests are organized astroturf—NGO-backed, donor-funded, and as fake as their outrage.
"It's a union of grifters and bureaucrats trying to stop Elon from cutting off their taxpayer-funded gravy train."
He also noted: "TESLA PROTESTERS PAID UP TO $200 BY INDIVISIBLE."
"A now-deleted webpage published by the organization offered to pay groups up to $200 to stage protests against Tesla and Elon."
Musk himself reacted to comments and videos posted by others such as the Western Lensman, who noted: "They have no clue why they are there, and they have no clue what their signs even mean."
Musk said of one protester: "He had to read the paper he was given to understand the sign he was holding."
He added: "The problem is the puppetmasters, not the puppets, as the latter have no idea why they are even there."
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani posted: "Protesters hold up signs and symbols portraying Elon Musk as a literal Nazi, yet they cannot articulate why. They resort to yelling, screaming, intimidation and censorship."