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> The riots were most likely political AstroTurf before an election I noticed that that the BLM protests happened a few months before the 2016 election and the

• germinalphrase 6y ago
  To be specific, the data shows Google search interest - not number of protest events. Protests are not necessarily “newsworthy”; however, that search interest would track media stirring up news before elections seems likely. Further, (and I say this as a Minneapolitan) the significant protests of this summer were very clearly and obviously precipitated by real world events, not astroturfed protest crowds.
  • philwelch 6y ago
    One question is why and how certain specific real-world events go viral and others get memory-holed. I would surmise that a lot of the protests this summer were, emotionally, a consequence of the stress, economic uncertainty, and way-too-online cabin fever of the early stages of the COVID epidemic.
    • trident5000 6y ago
      You wouldnt believe how sophisticated the firms are that the dem party hires. They have their own versions of Cambridge Analytica which are more than capable of amplifying messages.
      • philwelch 6y ago
        I'd believe it. It would certainly explain a lot.