A Marxist tycoon’s shadowy empire wages protest campaigns against US defence tech
The Protests Were Not Spontaneous
As United States and Israeli forces launched strikes against Iran in late February 2026, a network of far-left organisations funded by a pro-Chinese Communist Party billionaire was already mobilising on American streets — in some cases before President Trump had even publicly confirmed the operation had begun. The ANSWER Coalition, one of several groups in the network, issued an emergency call to action at 2:34 a.m. Eastern time — ten minutes before Trump announced the strikes. This was not coincidence. It was coordination.
Who Is Neville Roy Singham
At the centre of this network is Neville Roy Singham, an American tech entrepreneur who sold his software company for hundreds of millions of dollars, relocated to Shanghai, and began funding a constellation of organisations that critics and congressional investigators say function as a pro-CCP influence operation inside the United States. Singham’s network includes the People’s Forum in New York, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, CodePink Women for Peace — co-founded by his wife Jodie Evans — and the ANSWER Coalition. These organisations coordinate protests, produce media content, and push messaging that consistently aligns with Chinese Communist Party positions on US foreign policy.
Palantir as the Target
The latest escalation in the network’s campaign involves Palantir Technologies, the American data analytics company that has built artificial intelligence tools for the US Defence Department through a programme called Project Maven. Palantir is reportedly involved in intelligence operations that supported recent military actions including the joint US-Israel strikes on Iran. The Miami chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation organised a protest against Palantir’s new Florida headquarters, branding the demonstration the “Florida Unwelcome Party” — promoting it alongside self-described communist organisations including the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party.
What Congress Has Found
Congressional investigators are paying close attention. The House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party — chaired by Representative John Moolenaar of Michigan — has documented close ties between CCP-aligned entities and groups that target American defence and technology companies. The committee has found that Chinese companies supplied weapons components to the Houthis, an Iran-backed group that attacked US naval vessels more than 170 times since 2023. They also documented Chinese military technology transfers to Russia, Venezuela, and Cuba. The House Select Committee on the CCP has become one of the most important bodies tracking this network.
The Pattern and the Stakes
For those following the Hong Kong democracy movement, none of this is surprising. The same apparatus that manufactured consent for Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong — funding sympathetic media, amplifying regime talking points, funding activists who paint Western concerns as imperialist interference — operates in the United States under slightly different branding. Researchers at the National Democratic Institute have tracked how authoritarian states fund domestic influence networks in democracies precisely to blur the line between organic dissent and manufactured propaganda. A network that mobilises protests against American defence contractors while echoing Beijing’s opposition to US military operations is not a peace movement. It is a geopolitical operation. The American people, and the free world, deserve to know who is funding it and why.
Senior Journalist & Editor, Apple Daily UK
Contact: athena.lai@appledaily.uk
Athena Lai is a senior journalist and editor with extensive experience in Chinese-language investigative reporting and editorial leadership. Educated at a leading journalism school in the United Kingdom, Athena received formal training in fact-checking methodology, editorial governance, and international media standards, grounding her work in globally recognized best practices.
She has held senior editorial roles at Apple Daily and other liberal Chinese publications, where she oversaw coverage of Hong Kong civil liberties, diaspora politics, rule of law, and press freedom. Athena’s reporting is distinguished by disciplined sourcing, cross-verification, and a clear separation between factual reporting and opinion, reinforcing reader trust.
Beyond reporting, Athena has served as an editor responsible for mentoring journalists, enforcing ethical guidelines, and managing sensitive investigations. Her newsroom leadership reflects real-world experience navigating legal risk, source protection, and editorial independence under pressure.
Athena’s authority comes from both her byline history and her editorial stewardship. She has reviewed and approved hundreds of articles, ensuring compliance with defamation standards, accuracy benchmarks, and responsible language use. Her work demonstrates lived experience within high-stakes news environments rather than theoretical expertise.
Committed to journalistic integrity, Athena believes credible journalism is built on transparency, accountability, and institutional memory. Her role at Apple Daily UK reflects that commitment, positioning her as a trusted voice within independent Chinese media.
