Quakertown GOP said local ‘No Kings’ protesters would be paid $40. But is there evidence?

A Bucks County Republican club claimed that participants in a “No Kings” protest this past weekend would be paid.

An administrator of the Quakertown Area Republican Club Facebook page wrote on Friday that a “considerable number of participants arriving from outside the area” would receive “a daily stipend of $40.” But members of the club have not provided evidence for the claim.

Amalia Ritter, the chair of the Quakertown Area Republican Club, didn’t respond to questions about the claim via text June 16. An administrator also blocked the reporter’s primary Facebook account from the page.

Will Patterson, a spokesperson for both State Rep. Craig Staats, R-Bucks and State Rep. Kristin Marcell, R-Bucks, said Monday night that neither representative had information regarding the stipends claim.

Members of the Bucks County Republican Committee, which links to the club’s Facebook page on its website, did not answer questions about the Quakertown chapter’s claim about a $40 stipend. However, an administrator of the committee’s own Facebook page doubled down on the speculation, posting later on Monday evening that “one has to wonder” whether people protesting in Bucks County this weekend were “truly grassroots.”

“No Kings” organizers said Monday they had not paid protesters. Several of the protest participants specifically asked about this topic said they had not encountered any paid protesters or agitators at the event.

The Quakertown Area Republican Club’s post originally shared a social media message from the page of its Democratic counterpart, the Northern Bucks Democrats, which listed recommendations for how to deescalate if counterprotesters attend the event.

An administrator of the Republican club’s page wrote that attendees “may include paid agitators” to the Quakertown protest, “as indicated” by the deescalation post. The GOP club did not explain the connection between the deescalation recommendations and the $40 stipend claim.

“They are spreading baseless accusations without offering any proof to support their claims,” said Brian Reimers, chair of the Northern Bucks Democrats.

Emails throughout June to people who RSVPed to the Quakertown rally reviewed by this news organization did not include any references to payment or opportunities to be paid.

“No one was paid to organize or attend the protest (at) Triangle Park in Quakertown,” said Jane Cramer, who organized the protest with Upper Bucks United, a local group affiliated with the Indivisible organization that coordinated the nationwide No Kings event.

There were no reports of counterprotesters at the Quakertown rally, which organizers said drew more than 1,000 people.

“We did not encounter any agitators. Some people felt the need to rev their engines at us as they drove by,” Cramer said.

Others in attendance said they saw cars drive by yelling profanities and flipping off protesters.

“I didn’t see any counter protesters,” said Kristina Stidham from Sellersville, who added that she didn’t encounter anyone from outside the area, either. Protesters said they met people from Bucks County and nearby areas, such as Coopersburg.

One man was detained near the No Kings protest in Middletown Township on Saturday, according to Levittown Now.

Kierstyn Zolfo, a longtime organizer in Upper Bucks, said that while higher-level staff in the Indivisible coalition are paid — such as Jake Fein, who oversees organizing for all of Pennsylvania and Virginia — she is unaware of any local organizers or demonstrators ever being paid.

“I am not a paid protester, nor do I know any paid protesters. If anything, all of us in this space end up spending quite a bit out of pocket to put on events,” Zolfo said. “When we start talking about big events like No Kings, where we bought lots of flags and decorations and crafting supplies for kids like paper crowns and stickers … all that adds up.”

The Quakertown GOP’s post recommended that attendees “consider donating their $40 to support the local businesses (negatively) impacted by the event.”

Staff at several businesses across from Triangle Park — including Karlton Cafe, Doghouse Gaming and Always Beautiful Floral Design Studio — said parking was tight during the protest. None were aware of receiving any $40 donations this weekend.

Reporting by Jess Rohan, Bucks County Courier Times / Bucks County Courier Times