Allegations that some people have received money to take part in US protests against President-elect Donald Trump are false, a member of the activist coalition ANSWER, Jaime Legato, told Sputnik on Friday.
"That's pure reactionary propaganda," Legato said. "I mean, some of us are professionals in the sense we've been fighting for social and economic justice for years, but we're not paid to do this."
In fact, he added, reality is often the reverse, with protesters using their own money from everyday jobs to pay for rallies and other activities.
Trump, in the days after his November 8 electoral win, took to Twitter and dismissed national demonstrations against him as the work of “professional protesters, incited by the media”.
Legato’s group, ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism), is planning an anti-Trump rally in Washington, DC next month when the next president will be sworn into office.
"We have 9,000 people going to DC to protest the inauguration on the 20th of January," Legato said, adding that coordinated opposition is crucial, given Trump’s campaign rhetoric against African-Americans, Mexican immigrants and women.
Legato is a longtime activist who has helped organize rallies in New York and Washington against US-led wars, police brutality and discrimination of women and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Since Trump’s election, the number of people choosing to take part in activism has been growing, he asserted.
"I think what's important is that since Trump won the election, we mobilized more people who are now willing to become active citizens. The solidarity within the movements grows," Legato said.
Established within days of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, ANSWER is a national coalition that advocates for worker and immigrant rights, opposes racial and religious profiling, and supports global antiwar efforts.