Alexandria clash with the rules
At an Oct. 17 “No Kings” protest in Alexandria, Va., 26-year-old environmental engineer Nayely Cruz Hernandez told Fox News Digital her message to voters was simple: “Vote blue.”
“We got to take the power away from Trump, from the Republicans,” she said, adding, “we got to win the House, we got to win the Senate, not only in Virginia, but across the country.” Standing with her boyfriend, Noah Schwarzott, and their dog, Maybellene, she acknowledged national organizers had rules to keep events “nonpartisan,” but said she wasn’t following them.
Organizers’ guidance vs. on-the-ground messaging
Fox News reported that national “No Kings” organizers and leaders at the Indivisible nonprofit issued written instructions prohibiting calls to “vote Blue,” elect Democrats, endorse candidates, or target individuals. The outlet said organizers framed the nonpartisan rules as necessary to comply with federal laws governing the nonprofits funding the protests.
What Fox News reporters saw in Alexandria
According to Fox News, one attendee held a sign from a group called “Refuse Fascism” reading “TRUMP MUST GO NOW!” Another displayed an inflatable balloon depicting Donald Trump as a baby in a diaper. A separate sign read “86 47,” a phrase the article links to a social media post by former FBI Director James Comey; Fox News wrote that federal prosecutors deemed that message an overt threat against Trump.
Hernandez also said her dog was “telling you to vote for Don Beyer,” referring to the Democratic member of Congress who represents Alexandria and surrounding Northern Virginia communities.
Who’s behind the protests, per Fox News
A Fox News Digital investigation stated that roughly 300 organizations with a combined $2.5 billion in annual revenues are behind the “No Kings” protest network, including Democratic-aligned advocacy groups, labor unions, and nonprofits such as MoveOn, the American Federation of Teachers, and the ACLU.
