(The Economic Collapse Blog)—If the protests in Los Angeles are supposed to be peaceful, why is brand new riot gear being trucked in and given to the protesters? And why isn’t this making front page news all over the country? First of all, protesters only need riot gear if riots are going to break out. Secondly, it is becoming clear that someone purchased large quantities of riot gear in advance.
So who funded those purchases, and who knew that riots would erupt in Los Angeles at this specific time? If corporate news outlets in this country were still employing real journalists, those are the types of questions that those journalists would be asking.
As Eric Daugherty has accurately pointed out, Fox News actually captured footage of “bionic shields” that normally cost 60 dollars each being handed out to rioters on the streets of Los Angeles…
PAID-FOR “bionic shields” are being trucked in for the Los Angeles rioters.
These cost around $60, each…and there are BOXES and BOXES of them being handed out.
“That’s not the kind of thing that you buy in bulk if you don’t plan on doing something with it…”
They are planning for a CLASH.
This an enormous scandal. Why aren’t more people talking about this?
According to Newsweek, the “bionic shields” were being handed out by two women as “a masked driver waited for them to unload the goods”…
TV cameras have captured boxes of “bionic shields” being distributed to protesters in Los Angeles on Monday.
Footage of the scene showed boxes of solid, full-face masks—almost akin to helmets—being handed out from the back of a pickup truck by two women while a masked driver waited for them to unload the goods.
The footage has sparked concerns among some that external agitators are facilitating riots by equipping crowds for potential clashes with the police or National Guard. However, others say the masks are safety gear, worn as a precaution after protesters were injured by rubber bullets that the authorities fired.
So where did all of these “bionic shields” suddenly come from? Did someone order them from Amazon? Of course not.
Obviously, someone already had large quantities of these “bionic shields” on hand. Needless to say, that has enormous implications.
Were these “bionic shields” purchased in advance for pre-planned protests that were scheduled to erupt this month?
We really need an answer to that question. And as Fox anchor Elex Michaelson has pointed out, we also need to know who is funding all of this…
Fox LA anchor Elex Michaelson wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “We just saw people arrive in Downtown L.A. with truck loads of Bionic Face Shields that demonstrators quickly grabbed. It certainly seems like gear you’d wear if you’re preparing for conflict with police. Who is funding this?”
There is also concern about a Craigslist advertisement for “extremely tough, brave men” that was recently posted. Was someone trying to recruit paid agitators? Snopes cannot determine if the ad is connected to the riots in any way, but even they were forced to admit that the ad “was real”…
On June 9, 2025, screenshots of an actual Craigslist advertisement seeking “extremely tough, brave men” for $6,500 to $12,500 per week began circulating on social media. Users on X posted the screenshots as “proof” that ongoing Los Angeles immigration protests were “orchestrated and well-funded chaos.”
The social media posts gained significant traction, with one example on X receiving 267,200 views and another garnering 374,300 views as of this writing.
The ad itself was real — in the sense that it was indeed posted on losangeles.craigslist.org at 1:20 p.m. PT on June 5, 2025 — one day before the immigration protests began in Los Angeles. An almost identical ad was posted on austin.craigslist.org just 37 minutes later at 1:57 p.m. PT.
If authorities want to get to the root cause of the problems that we are witnessing in Los Angeles, they need to find out where the funding for the protests is originating.
At this stage, there is a lot of speculation about three specific organizations…
When anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agitators took to the streets in the Los Angeles area over the weekend attacking officers, setting cars on fire, and looting, they drew attention to the left-leaning activist groups that may have helped instigate the riots.
Three major organizations have come under increased scrutiny: the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Los Angeles; the Party for Socialism and Liberation; and the Service Employees International Union. One of these groups, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Los Angeles, has received millions in government funding.
In the case of CHIRLA, we know that they have been getting showered with taxpayer money in recent years…
Citing an investigative X thread from DataRepublican, Liz says that of a “number of NGOs [that] have been implicated, foremost is Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights [of Los Angeles], or CHIRLA.”
According to DataRepublican, “$34 million of [CHIRLA’s] reported $45 million in revenue are from government grants,” meaning taxpayer dollars are being used to pay the people who are setting fire to cop cars and hurling concrete slabs at federal agents.
During the Biden administration specifically, CHIRLA’s revenue “jumped from $12 million to $34 million in government grants.”
“The Joe Biden administration knew exactly who they wanted to give money to in order to set up situations like these riots in California,” says Liz.
Of course these organizations are funded by other sources as well, but it should deeply upset all of us that our tax dollars are being used for such purposes.
The corporate media keeps telling us that the protests are “mostly peaceful”, but meanwhile a horrifying crime spree has broken out in downtown Los Angeles…
Rioters in downtown Los Angeles looted a prominent Apple store amid protests against ICE raids in the city.
Images from the scene show rioters in hoodies and masks ransacking the store Monday night. Dozens of people can be seen throughout the property before at least one individual began breaking a window in order to escape from the side of the building.
President Trump is determined to do whatever it takes to restore order.
In fact, on Tuesday he warned that he could even invoke the Insurrection Act if that becomes necessary…
President Donald Trump flirted with invoking the Insurrection Act in Los Angeles as he tore into ‘bad people’ and ‘animals’ he said brought the city to the verge of burning down.
The president defended his decision to send 700 U.S. Marines as well as California National Guard to Los Angeles, and brushed off California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s claim that the deployment inflamed the situation.
And he would not rule out use of an authority to deploy military forces under his control to put down disturbances if he sees fit.
We were warned in advance that this sort of civil unrest would be coming.
Now it is here.
The Democrats have been preparing for this summer for a long time.
Now the chaos that they have been plotting is starting to be unleashed, and it is going to tear our country apart.
Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
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Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
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Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
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Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
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