Protesters Push for Change in Alexandria Amid “No Kings” Movement

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — On South Washington Street, 26-year-old environmental engineer Nayely Cruz Hernandez voiced her clear demand for voters while standing among a group of protesters during the nationwide “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump: “Vote blue.”

“We need to take the power away from Trump and the Republicans,” Hernandez remarked. “We have to win the House and the Senate, not just in Virginia, but across the entire country.”

Beside her was her boyfriend, Noah Schwarzott, 25, holding their 13-year-old Maltese-poodle, Maybellene. Despite the national organizers advocating for the protests to maintain a “nonpartisan” stance, Hernandez was not adhering to those guidelines.

“The No Kings organizers can say whatever they want,” she stated. “But the reason we’re here is clear. Who controls the House and the Senate? Who is the President? It’s red, it’s Republicans, and it’s Trump.”

A report by Fox News Digital highlighted that around 300 organizations with a combined annual revenue of $2.5 billion are backing the “No Kings” protest movement, including advocacy groups aligned with Democrats, major labor unions, and nonprofits such as MoveOn, the American Federation of Teachers, and the ACLU.

Hernandez wrapped up her thoughts by introducing Maybellene and humorously asserting that the dog was “telling you to vote for Don Beyer,” a Democratic Congress member representing Alexandria and parts of Northern Virginia.

While national organizers insisted that the Oct. 17 events needed to be “nonpartisan,” this was largely to comply with federal laws regarding the nonprofits funding the No Kings protests.

Hernandez’s statements were in direct conflict with the written guidance from the national “No Kings” organization, which instructed participants not to promote any political party or endorse candidates.

Nearby, a man from a far-left group called “Refuse Fascism” displayed a sign that flouted the organizers’ guidance: “TRUMP MUST GO NOW!” Another individual waved an inflatable balloon depicting Trump as a baby in a diaper. Additionally, one sign bore the controversial phrase “86 47,” linked to a social media post by former FBI Director James Comey, which prosecutors viewed as a threat towards Trump.

As the couple cheered for honking cars, Eunic Epstein-Ortiz, representing No Kings, stressed that the movement is “nonpartisan” and aims to unite millions of Americans to advocate for democracy and oppose authoritarianism.

When informed about the reports indicating partisan themes at “No Kings” events from Maine to Oregon, Epstein-Ortiz acknowledged the existence of some unofficial events but insisted on the nonpartisan nature of their official gatherings.

Despite this claim, the protest on South Washington Street was an officially sanctioned event, as promoted on the organizers’ website.

Later in the day, Fox News Digital encountered another participant, Nadine Seiler, a “professional protester” who openly dismissed the nonpartisan claim at an official “No Kings” event near the White House. When asked if she agreed with the organizers’ characterization, she said, “No, no, the people who agree with Trump are not out here. So it’s never gonna be non-partisan if it’s a resistance to the fascist regime.” She added, “They can pretend, but it’s not.”

When pressed on whether the event was partisan, Seiler confidently stated, “Yes, this is a partisan protest,” explaining that participants were opposing what she viewed as illegal policies of the Trump administration.

The situation highlights the complex political character of a movement whose leaders claim to prioritize nonpartisan voter mobilization.

“No Kings” has issued detailed election-law guidelines that prohibit partisan slogans, campaign materials, candidate endorsements, and collaborations with political parties. However, discussions among the movement’s leaders indicate a clear Democratic electoral focus.

During an online event, Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin compared the candidates of both parties, stating, “Our candidates are quite good all around the country. Their candidates are quite trash all over the country.”

In another webinar, he encouraged activists to criticize Trump in a way that avoided explicit Democratic endorsements, saying, “Uh, you’ve got to let people connect the dots on that one.”

Leah Greenberg, another co-founder of Indivisible, described No Kings as a “nonpartisan coalition” aimed at including participants from across the political spectrum. This distinction is significant, as individual protesters expressing partisan opinions do not necessarily imply that event organizers breached election laws. Tax-exempt charities operate under different regulations than political advocacy groups.

Throughout the protests from Northern Virginia to the White House, participants made no effort to disguise their political leanings. For Seiler, it was simple: “This is as partisan as you can get.”