George Soros is coming under fire for the massive protests that arose in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidential election victory, with accusations that the billionaire who has funded Black Lives Matter is also using his fortune to bankroll the anti-Trump demonstrations.

Trump’s surprising victory led to a wave of demonstrations in dozens of American cities, with some turning violent. In Los Angeles, a demonstration on Friday night that involved close to 1,000 people led to 187 arrests, CNN reported.

Many of the people at the protests spoke out against what they saw as racist and misogynistic statements from Donald Trump.

“I don’t know what we can actually do to change things,” protester Allen Meisner told CNN, “but we have to keep coming and making sure his hatred and his fear and the anger that he’s stirring up and using to get elected doesn’t manifest itself in our country.”

But there are also allegations that the anti-Trump protests are not a grassroots effort, but instead being bankrolled by left-leaning groups. George Soros, a billionaire who has backed Democratic candidates as well as protest groups that include Black Lives Matter.

“Those that are stirring it up, and many of them do work for Soros-fronted organizations are really telling those innocent protesters, and perhaps less innocent protesters, they are in danger by Trump, even though Trump has done nothing but preach unity since he won the election,” Marko Gasic, a British-Serbian political commentator told RT.

Gasic went on to accuse Geoge Soros of funding other international protest efforts with the same goal — increasing his own wealth.

“We now have Soros behind many ‘color’ revolutions in other countries and financing in effect a semi-color revolution in US,” Gasic said in reference to the Orange Revolution in Ukraine. “I don’t know if it categorizes as treason. He certainly operates from the shadows. His only legitimacy is his wallet. His only concern is to create the kind of democracy he can prop up and gain an interest from. That’s the kind of person who is behind this continuing protest against a valid, legitimate, free election.”

The source of the report connecting George Soros to the Donald Trump protests is itself raising questions. RT is the online arm of Russia Today, the state-sponsored news outlet in Russia. Trump’s campaign has faced accusations of maintaining close ties with Russia during his campaign, and separate reports from U.S. intelligence officials accused Russia of hacking emails of Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee with the intention of interfering with the election.

There are other accusations from right-leaning news sites connecting Soros to the nationwide unrest.

I bet these fake protestors bought and paid for by the DNC and George Soros didn't even Vote.



Pure Scum ! #MakeAmericaGreatAgain ???????? pic.twitter.com/sil64XJnDe — John Cheney????????MAGA (@JrcheneyJohn) November 11, 2016

Enemedia @LesleyRStahl doesn't mention Democrat riots,violence, arson,beatings, police attacks & the fact that George Soros is funding riots pic.twitter.com/pPvDZUV6hm — Pamela Geller (@PamelaGeller) November 14, 2016

For his part, Soros has denied any involvement in the demonstrations.

“George Soros is not funding these (anti-Trump) protests,” Soros spokesperson Michael Vachon said in an interview (via Value Walk). “This is a fiction promoted by the alt-right.”

Donald Trump himself has fueled some of the rumors that the demonstrations are a corporate-backed effort. The President-elect first tweeted about the demonstrations on Friday, saying that they were “professional protesters,” which to some gave credence to the rumors that George Soros had bankrolled them.

“Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!” Trump wrote.

But Trump changed course the next morning, backing off the accusations.

“Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!” he tweeted.

Aside from the allegations that George Soros is funding the anti-Trump protests, the billionaire has taken another hit in the wake of the 2016 election. He funneled more than $1.1 million into the congressional race of Colorado Democrat Jake Lilly, who still ended up losing to Republican Pete Weir.

[Featured Image by Mike Coppola/Getty Images]