The Protest Warriors Photo/Johnny P News

On the Warpath with the Protest Warriors

By John S. Pappas 11/23/03

Washington - I am marching with a group of approximately 60 people. They march in rows of five and six, with stragglers at the back, those who were late setting out. I am in the front row, taking long, quick strides to keep up with the marchers. Our footsteps create a crunching sound as we make our way across the pebble covered lanes that line the Mall in Washington D.C.

I have to walk quickly because the group is hustling. There is excitement and expectation around us. It is tangible. I am only here to observe, but I feel it too.

Every now and again one of two men in the front row will voice a command; "Wait to cross, stay together," they say as we cross the streets that intersect the Mall. They are the leaders of the group, and like true leaders, they march in front.

The people I march with are carrying large signs with slogans written on them. They are all wearing white tee-shirts with similar messages. The messages are humorous and contradictory, sometimes seemingly nonsensical, but they all convey deeply held beliefs.

It is a near-perfect October afternoon in D.C. As we go, I try to observe the people we pass, looking at their faces as they read the signs the people in our group carry, looking to their eyes for the moment when the messages register. Some smile, others shake the heads in disgust. Still others stop what they are doing and begin to clap. An older man here, a group playing football there. In some is the realization of who they are seeing.

Our destination is the Washington Monument. There we will find tens of thousands more people with signs; tens of thousands more people with deeply held beliefs. The signs of the people at our destination do not say the same things as our signs however, and the deeply held beliefs of those already at the Monument are in direct opposition to those held by the people I am with. But the group I'm with know this; it is why they have come.

They have come from all across America to protest those who protest the United States and it's policies.

They are the Protest Warriors.


In the war of socio-politico ideas between the right and left in America, Kfir Alfia and Alan Davidson appear to be two of the most unlikely heroes. They look like two ordinary young men just out of college. Yet in little more than nine months the two founders of Protestwarrior.com have made a name for themselves, good and bad, on both sides of the debate.

They have done this by infiltrating large, anti-American foreign-policy protests and antagonizing those who sponsor and attend them. They carry signs that at first seem to agree with, but actually contradict, the causes of the protests they attend.

Counter-protesters are nothing new, nor do they normally inspire much attention. The Protest Warriors are different than the average counter-protester however. They infiltrate the rallies of those they disagree with, rather than setting up a static, counter-rally. The signs they carry, while antagonistic, are considered by their followers, and even some of their adversaries, to be quite funny.

Signs Photo/Johnny P News

Kfir and Alan have known one another since childhood. They met in the first grade when Kfir moved from Israel to Texas, where Alan lived. They became friends. Alan says they have always been into politics, and talk radio. They describe themselves as conservatives and pro-liberty.

They call what they do protest-crashing. When they began, during the build up to the war in Iraq, it was on a whim. They had no intention, nor any idea, that it would act as a catalyst to full-time positions in the war of ideas underway in America.

"We weren’t thinking, 'hey, we are gonna crash this protest, take pictures, and then call up some show and tell them about it,'" says Kfir, "We were gonna do it just for fun, and to see what happens."
Their first protest-crash was in San Francisco. The group International A.N.S.W.E.R. held a rally there in February, 2003. Alan, a film major at U.S.C., was visiting Kfir who was living in San Francisco and working as a computer engineer. On a whim, they decided to make their own signs and infiltrate the rally. The signs they carried used irony to proclaim their support for America at war, and belief in capitalism.

"Except for ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism, and Communism, War has never solved anything," said one. "Communism has only killed 100 million people, let's give it another chance," said another.

Accompanied by a few friends and a camera, they went to the rally. "The first time we did that, we're thinking any second now someone could just punch me in the back of the head," says Alan. The duo walked among the protesters unchallenged. According to Alan and Kfir, the two went unmolested because the protesters did not know what to make of them and their signs. "They're so smug in their position of attacking conservatives as immoral that they don't know what is hitting them when you come back at them with the same thing," says Kfir. Pictures were taken of the crash and afterwards, when the two looked at them, they found the incongruity hilarious and thought other people might enjoy hearing about and seeing what they had done.

San Francisco Rally Photo/ProtestWarrior.com

San Francisco Rally Photo/ProtestWarrior.com

"The day after we did the first crash, we called Michael Savage (The Savage Nation Radio Show) because I knew he would love it," says Kfir, "He was also a local SF guy way back when. He totally loved it. So the next day I was driving to work, and I was listening to Rush (Rush Limbaugh Radio Show), and I was thinking; "Rush would love this story, and I was thinking I should call him. I’ve heard people say it is impossible to get through. After 5 minutes of calling I got through. I was talking to the screener and he was like on the floor laughing, I was telling him all the slogans we had, and after I told him the first one he said; 'alright, I'm going to put you next.' He bumped me up all the way to the first call. I spoke to him (Rush) for like 8 and ½ minutes, he absolutely loved it. I sent him the pictures that night."

Rush posted the pictures on his web site that evening, where millions of people saw them and appreciated the humor. Within 24 hours of their first protest crash, Kfir and Alan were famous.


The group has crossed 15th street, and now is within 250 yards of the main protest. The protest stage is straight ahead, but new security barriers mean we will have to walk north to Constitution Avenue and then west to come into the protest from the north. One of the two leaders, Kfir, tells everyone to gather around him while we wait for stragglers. In what acts as a pep-talk, he asks if everyone is ready. He tells everyone to stay together and to follow him and Alan.

While he is speaking, I am looking towards the protest. I have never learned to count people in groups, but I know there are thousands of people yonder. Because of the barriers, a large part of the crowd in front of the stage is obscured, but from here I can see hundreds of banners, flags, and signs that they wave above their heads.

I look at the group of counter-protesters nearest to me, they appear grim and determined. As we marched, I asked them why they have come to protest the protesters. In answering they speak of patriotism, and pride in their country. They say they believe in the war on terror and are tired of seeing their nation belittled by people they refer to as communists and America-haters. There are men and women in our group, few older than thirty. There are soldiers and civilians. They are mostly from small towns, but some are from cities.

Kfir tells the group to move out. He turns and begins to walk towards the protest, the group follows. Within moments we are at Constitution Avenue. I look to the faces of the protesters for reaction. Some of them appear to wonder if we know which rally we are at, as if we have come by accident. Others look confused as they try to figure out what our message is. Our group begins to sing "God Bless America," which draws the ire of nearby protesters.

We reach the north corner of the security banner. Some protesters are verbally challenging our group. The counter-protester in front of me is conducting a walking argument with a protester. "Do you even know who wrote God Bless America," the protester screams at the man in front of me. "I don't know, and I don't give a damn, he got it right," says the man in our group. They exchange more words; the man in our group calls the protester a communist.

We walk down the sidewalk on Constitution Avenue and the crowd is getting thicker. There are comments and shouts at us from some of the protesters there. We keep moving towards the end of the security wall facing north and towards the main protest. Many of the protesters seem amused by us, but others look at us with contempt, appearing angry at our presence. I have hung back to listen to the exchange about "God Bless America" and am now far behind the front of the group. I run parallel to the counter-protesters trying to catch the leaders.

Into the Rally Photo/Johnny P News

I catch up just as the group clear the wall and begin to infiltrate the rally proper. In their uniform white tee-shirts and signs, the counter-protesters stand-out. They walk about 20 yards into the protest, away from Constitution Avenue. The crowd here becomes too thick to go further. I stand back and watch as the rest of the group file in. I look at the reaction of those already here.

The protesters are an eclectic bunch; young and old, men and women, in all manner of dress.

Some protesters realize they now have more counter-protesters around them than protesters, and appear genuinely dismayed. I watch as one woman stares at the counter-protesters still coming in and realizes what their signs are saying. "Oh my God," she says, voicing disbelief at who is now around her. She takes out her cell phone and makes a call. Hanging up from her call, she screams an expletive to a counter-protester who is walking by with a sign.

I approach her, tell her I am a journalist and ask her if I can interview her. "Why, because I just said that real polite thing to the guy with the sign," she asks, smiling. As I question her, I notice small debates are occurring around me, with groups of one and two counter-protesters arguing their viewpoints with one or two protesters.

In interviewing the woman, I find her to be articulate and passionate. She says she is from upstate New York and is against all war. She points out how the U.S. has failed to capture even Bin Laden and how innocent civilians are mostly what America has killed in this war on terror. I ask her a hypothetical: if America knew where all the bad guys were, Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Mullah Omar, and could attack them without endangering any civilian life, would she support such a military action? "From this government, this administration," she qualifies, "no." She tells me she is a communist.

We have been speaking for about 5 minutes when I hear shouts nearby. Looking up, I see that members of our group are involved in an altercation with A.N.S.W.E.R. security members. The security personnel are shoving counter-protesters and destroying their signs.


Kfir and Alan were famous. The story of their protest crash in San Francisco was heard by millions of people on the Michael Savage radio show and on the Rush Limbaugh radio show. Additionally, the pictures of the crash were being viewed by millions of people on Rush Limbaugh's web site. Kfir thought about it and made a decision, "I just thought it would be a great idea to build a web site around," he says.

Being a professional computer engineer, Kfir used his abilities to build ProtestWarrior.com.

The site took five days to build and launch, and while Rush had kept the pictures up for almost 7 days, they were taken down 2 days before the site was launched.

The site was getting some hits (site visits) initially, in the hundreds per day Kfir guessed by his e-mail volume during that time. In March, the Protest Warriors crashed another San Francisco march and Kfir decided to call Rush back and tell him about the site. He spoke to the screener again. Kfir says that Rush was kind enough to re-post the photos along with the web site address. Immediately e-mails came in by the thousands.

Protest Warrior used the slogans from their signs to make tee-shirts and bumper stickers to sell on the web site. Large numbers of orders came in. So many orders came in initially that Kfir's apartment was stacked floor to ceiling with orders waiting to be shipped out.

They sold enough merchandise that Kfir could quit his computer engineering job. Alan finished up at U.S.C. film school early and they both moved back to Texas to become full-time Protest Warriors. Additionally, they had an idea to make a movie.

Then in late summer they heard of a rally International A.N.S.W.E.R. was planning in Washington D.C. in October. They announced on their web site that they would be crashing the rally in Washington. The date would be October 25th. The Protest Warriors were going to the protest-capital of the world to infiltrate a major rally.

On the eve of the protest/counter-protest, in Washington D.C., the Protest Warriors are asked what they hope to achieve. "We're hoping this operation here in D.C., spurs other people to start protesting using our signs. I mean it's already happening, people are putting up our signs everywhere, taking them to class," said Alan. The signs are available free from the web site for download.

When asked if they think what they do is part of a larger groundswell of new patriotism, Alan replied; "I think there is a certain sense, especially among our generation that something is wrong here, and many become cynical. But I think we are presenting a cohesive, pro-liberty ideology that is just attracting people."

Are they in any way worried about reaction from the protesters? "They don't want to attack us," Alan said, "they don't want to hit us back, they just want to run."


I am watching an A.N.S.W.E.R. security volunteer shoving people. He is also destroying signs the counter-protesters are holding. The counter-protesters are yelling at the security volunteers, and asking anyone to take pictures of what is occurring. I run over and begin taking pictures of the event. The security people ripping up the signs are pulled away by other A.N.S.W.E.R. volunteers.

I notice more A.N.S.W.E.R. security people have come and are forming a line in front of the counter-protesters holding yellow tape. The man I saw destroying signs is now among them. They are being verbally abusive, cussing at the counter-protesters, calling them Nazis, telling them to leave. One counter-protester is screaming at the A.N.S.W.E.R. people that they assaulted his pregnant wife (I learn later that a pregnant counter-protester was shoved to the ground, and pushed by the security people even after they were told she is pregnant). Others are threatening charges for assault (none were filed). Some say they are going for the police.

Security Personnel Destroying Signs Photo/Tim Sanders

I ask questions of the A.N.S.W.E.R. people. I ask them why they were destroying the signs, they refuse comment. I am confronted by a man with a video camera who has come up and is standing behind the security people. He is not wearing a yellow vest but stands with those who do. He is pointing his video camera at me. I ask him his name. He answers only to ask me my name. I tell him my first name. He continues asking me my name, aggressively, repeatedly. His tone and demeanor are menacing. I tell him my first name again. He asks my last name; I lie and tell him my last name is Smith. "Bull----," he says.
I place the camera to my face in order to take his picture. I am struck by his hand and the camera as he slaps the camera away, preventing my shot. The camera falls on the ground and is closer to him than me, he kicks it towards me.

I retrieve the camera and ask him why he has done this; no answer. I ask him if he is a non-violent person, and does he believe in war? He shouts an expletive at me.

I ask the other A.N.S.W.E.R. people there the same questions, none will respond. Around me, counter-protesters are arguing with security people. The man who says his pregnant wife was assaulted is next to me, yelling at the security people. The security people then begin to shove as a group, trying to physically eject the counter-protesters. The counter-protesters stand fast.

A policeman arrives and stands between the two groups. They continue to try to push our group with the policeman there. He uses his radio to call for assistance and more police appear. They stand between the two groups. They confer with one another, and then tell the counter-protesters they have to move out the area, because they have no permit to assemble.

Kfir and Alan refuse to leave and are threatened with arrest twice before they capitulate to the police demands. The counter-protesters begin to leave.

The A.N.S.W.E.R. security personnel begin pushing the group as it is exiting. Our group is now being pushed out of the park, in view of the U.S. Park Police, who do not intervene. I ask the A.N.S.W.E.R. people repeatedly if they consider what they are doing as suppressing free speech. They do not comment.

As we are pushed into Constitution Avenue, a middle-aged woman appears between the two groups. She is wearing buttons that promote peace. She begins berating the A.N.S.W.E.R. people.
" Why are you doing this," she asks.
" Because they are disrupting our rally," one replies.
" No, they were just standing there holding their signs. I defy you to tell me how these signs are disrupting your rally," she says.
" They are Nazis and we don't want them here," she is told.
" This is ridicules," she screams, "I am a mother, and a college professor. I hold a PhD and I defy you to tell me how they are being disruptive, or where on their signs it says they are Nazis. Oh, I get it; you are too stupid to figure their signs out."

She continues to scold the A.N.S.W.E.R. folks until ushered away by other A.N.S.W.E.R. people. I am told later that upon leaving she announced she would no longer support the group International A.N.S.W.E.R.

The security volunteers resume pushing the counter-protesters and in a few moments we are standing in the middle of Constitution Avenue. The A.N.S.W.E.R. security people leave us to the care of the U.S. Park Police.

The counter-protesters are herded by the police to the far sidewalk on Constitution Avenue. They park a dozen police motorcycles between our group and the protesters. Reporters from Pacifica and Telemundo come by asking questions about the altercation.

I ask Kfir and Alan their thoughts; they say they believe the counter-protest went well. They have changed clothes and are going with their video cameras to conduct what they call "undercover interviews."

From their position on the far side of Constitution Avenue, the remaining counter-protesters now hold a traditional counter-protest. They hold up their signs and shout at the protesters, who are doing the same from in and across the street. Within an hour, the protesters will have all left to march to the White House and the Protest Warriors will disperse. I leave the rally.

Later that day I write a news article about the clash between the two groups. There are photos and a small video clip of the A.N.S.W.E.R. security personnel destroying signs that accompany the story. The article is posted on one of the message forums associated with Protest Warrior, and by day's end it has circulated to many other message forums, where thousands of people are reading and discussing it. In the world of blogs and site-forums, the Protest Warriors generate a lot of discussion.


The coverage of the fracas in Washington, and the photos and video from the D.C. rally will benefit the Protest Warriors. Stories and photographs of the counter-protesters being assaulted by those who purportedly protest for peace advances the Protest Warrior cause. They believe it shows the hypocrisy of the ultra-left in America. “Our overall feeling about Operation Eagle Strike was that it was a great success, and we will have a video documenting the events released soon. It was the first time for either of us to go to D.C., and it was a beautiful backdrop for our operation. The anti-war protesters predictably went apoplectic when we arrived and were quick to sic the cops on us,” said Kfir.

"Storming the Ivory Towers," their first feature-length movie, will be an examination of the left's influence at America's universities. "The major theme is exposing the universities for what they are; progressive indoctrinating institutions," says Kfir.

All of the funding is in place and they have begun shooting.

They will continue doing protest crashes and filming them for possible inclusion in the film, which they plan to market on their web site. "We're about to launch our next operation," Alan says, referring to an upcoming crash.

For the Protest Warriors, manning the front lines in the war of ideas between right and left in America is all in a day’s work.

On the web at www.protestwarrior.com.

© 2003 Johnny P News