User blog comment:Master Sima Yi/Assassinews 05-08-'14 – Assassin's Creed: Rogue announced/@comment-3046679-20140910233354/@comment-24595865-20140912174444

The civilians we saw in the gang headquarters were working. And there weren't any other civilians, so that would suggest the gang members are making them work.

Also, the thieves, Romani, mercenaries and pirates who were allies of the Assassins were usually honorable and fought for a cause.