Protesters at "No Kings" Events Defy Organizers' Nonpartisan Stance, Call for "Vote Blue"

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Along South Washington Street, a 26-year-old environmental engineer, Nayely Cruz Hernandez, delivered a direct message to voters while joining numerous demonstrators gathered for the nationwide "No Kings" protests targeting President Donald Trump: "Vote blue."

Standing alongside her boyfriend, Noah Schwarzott, 25, with their 13-year-old Maltese-poodle, Maybellene, in her arms, Hernandez acknowledged that the national "No Kings" organizers had established guidelines for the events to be "nonpartisan." However, she stated she was not adhering to those instructions.

"The No King ... organizers can say whatever," she asserted. "But I'm saying vote blue, because why are we here? Who's in the House? Who's in the Senate? Who is the President? It's red, it's Republicans, and it's Trump."

Cruz Hernandez concluded her remarks by introducing Maybellene, playfully suggesting that the dog was "telling you to vote for Don Beyer," referring to the Democratic Congressman representing Alexandria, Arlington, and other communities in Northern Virginia.

Organizers' Nonpartisan Mandate Challenged

The national organizers' official position dictated that the events held on October 17 maintain a "nonpartisan" character. This stance is intended to ensure compliance with federal regulations governing the nonprofit organizations that provide funding for the "No Kings" protests.

Hernandez's comments directly diverged from the written directives issued by the national "No Kings" organization and its leadership at the Indivisible nonprofit. These instructions specifically prohibited slogans like "vote Blue," calls to elect Democrats, endorsements of candidates, and targeting of specific individuals.

Nearby, other demonstrators also disregarded the organizers' guidance. One individual held a sign from the far-left group "Refuse Fascism" proclaiming, "TRUMP MUST GO NOW!" Another participant displayed an inflatable balloon depicting Trump as a baby in a diaper. A separate sign featured the controversial phrase "86 47," a message former FBI Director James Comey had previously posted on social media, which federal prosecutors later characterized as an overt threat against Trump.

Despite these openly partisan displays, the protest on South Washington Street was officially recognized and advertised as a "No Kings" event on the organizers' official website.

Among the participants, one woman enthusiastically waved a sign that explicitly articulated the protest's political aim: "THE USA Needs a Big Beautiful BLUE WAVE."

Protesters Emphasize Partisan Nature

Nadine Seiler, a self-identified "professional protester" who had recently been mentioned by Trump, was questioned about her agreement with the organizers' insistence on the demonstration being nonpartisan.

"No, no, the people who agree with Trump are not out here," Seiler responded from within an inflatable costume. "So it's never gonna be non-partisan if it's a resistance to the fascist regime."

"They can pretend, but it's not," she added.

When directly asked if the event was partisan, Seiler unequivocally stated, "Yes, this is a partisan protest."

She elaborated that participants were actively resisting what she characterized as illegal policies enacted by the Trump administration.

"Yeah, so this is as partisan as you can get," she concluded.

These interactions provide a firsthand view of the political orientation of a movement whose organizers have made considerable efforts to present its voter-mobilization activities as strictly "nonpartisan."

Internal Discrepancies Within Leadership

The "No Kings" movement has disseminated comprehensive guidance on election law, expressly forbidding partisan slogans, campaign materials, candidate endorsements, and any coordination with political parties.

However, the movement's own leadership has openly discussed its broader objectives pertaining to Democratic electoral outcomes.

During a livestream on October 15, Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin drew a contrast between the candidates of the two major parties.

"Our candidates are quite good all around the country. Their candidates are quite trash all over the country," Levin remarked.

In an October 9 webinar, Levin offered advice on how activists could criticize Trump without explicitly endorsing Democratic candidates.

"Uh, you've got to let people connect the dots on that one," he advised.

Conversely, Indivisible co-founder Leah Greenberg described "No Kings" as a "nonpartisan coalition" designed to welcome participants from across the political spectrum.

This distinction carries legal significance. The expression of partisan opinions by individual protesters does not automatically signify that event organizers have violated election law. Furthermore, tax-exempt charities operate under different restrictions compared to political advocacy groups. In another instance reflecting the sentiment, a protester's sign read, "EVERY DAY I HATE HIM MORE THAN I DID THE DAY BEFORE." Another sign declared: "NO CROWN FOR THE CLOWN."

From northern Virginia to the vicinity of the White House, participants made little to no effort to disguise their political affiliations and preferences.

For Seiler, the characterization was straightforward: "This is as partisan as you can get."