WalkAway campaign explained

  1. WalkAway campaign
Size:frameless
Founder:Brandon Straka
Purpose:Encouraging liberals to leave the Democratic Party[1]
Location:United States, Canada

The #WalkAway campaign is a social-media campaign that was launched ahead of the United States 2018 mid-term elections with the stated purpose of encouraging voters to leave the Democratic Party.[2] The campaign, which also organized events to support Donald Trump, was noted and criticized[3] for its astroturfing methods and the claim that there was a popular movement of people leaving the party.[4] [5] [6]

In 2021, the group's founder, Brandon Straka, a hairstylist from New York City,[7] was charged with and convicted of participating in the 2021 United States Capitol attack.[8] [9] Following this, the group's Facebook page, which had more than half a million followers, was closed for violations of the site's terms of service.

Organization

The campaign is set up as a foundation and a political action committee:

Methods and fundraising

See also: Hashtag activism. Observers and commentators have raised doubts as to what extent #WalkAway Campaign is an example of astroturfing rather than a genuine grassroots movement. Soon after its founding in 2018, WalkAway received a $10,000 (~$ in) donation from Alex Jones and InfoWars.[14] [15] In 2019, Straka said WalkAway does not receive major donations and that "everything is grassroots support from Americans who send us $5 or $100."[16] In May 2020, OpenSecrets reported that of the $20,104 donated to WalkAway in 2020, a total of $7,521 was contributed by nine donors who gave $200 or more.[17] One was Straka himself.

Activities

In the run-up to the 2020 United States presidential election, the WalkAway campaign held rallies and marches in various cities, an effort to get people to vote for President Donald Trump. In August 2020, the WalkAway campaign held a rally in West Hollywood, California. Nearly 300 demonstrators attended, including YouTuber Joy Villa. Many held flags and signs supportive of Trump and critical of the Democratic Party.[18] On September 5, the campaign held a rally in Dallas, Texas, during which a Black Lives Matter counter-protester was arrested.[19] On October 3, 2020, Straka held a rally in Washington, D.C.[20]

Straka in the 2021 Capitol attack

Straka attended the 2021 United States Capitol attack and spoke to crowds on January 5 where he referred to the audience as "patriots" and referred repeatedly to a "revolution." He also told the attendees to "fight back" and added, "We are sending a message to the Democrats, we are not going away, you've got a problem!"[21]

The next day, he urged protestors to take away a police officer's shield, shouting "Take it away from him" and "Take it! Take it!" Later, as others tried to charge through the entrance to the Capitol, he shouted, "Go! Go!"

On January 8, Facebook closed the #WalkAway page, which had more than half a million followers at the time. The page was replaced with a message from Facebook saying the page had violated its terms of use.[22] The shutdown came in the wake of the Capitol attack, when Facebook and other social media platforms increased their enforcement of terms of service that ban the incitement of violence.[23] Facebook said the page violated a policy on content that was, "hateful, threatening, or obscene".[24]

On January 25, Straka was arrested in Nebraska by the FBI for "impeding law enforcement officers during civil disorder" and unlawful entry into a restricted building, as well as disorderly conduct in relation to his role in the violent disturbance.[25] [26] He pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge in October 2021, which could be punishable by up to six months in prison, and agreed to provide private social media and other evidence to investigators.[27] Prosecutors postponed Straka's December 2021 sentencing for thirty days to evaluate evidence he had provided.[28] Straka was later sentenced to three years probation for his role in the Capitol riot.[29]

Reactions

In 2018, David A. Love of CNN condemned the campaign as "pure propaganda [and] a psychological operation."[30]

That same year, Abby Ohlheiser wrote in The Washington Post, "There’s little actual evidence to suggest that #WalkAway represents a mass conversion of millions – or even thousands – of Democrats" and contrasted the broad appeal of true viral videos with the "Conservative Internet viral" nature of the WalkAway video.[31] ThinkProgress characterized the campaign as "a grifting operation," noting efforts by the organizers to sell dinner packages priced in the hundreds of dollars to march attendees.[32]

As well, Slate journalist Mark Joseph Stern accused Straka of presenting royalty-free stock images from Shutterstock and claiming they were of people who had left the Democratic Party,[33] though Straka denied that any such material originated from the WalkAway campaign. Fact-checking website Snopes stated that it could not determine whether this use of stock images had originated from campaign organizers.[34]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About.
    1. WalkAway Campaign
    . May 31, 2023.
  2. News: Richardson . Davis . #WalkAway Founder Is Latest to Spread 'Facebook Ban' Disinformation . January 9, 2021 . observer.com . September 13, 2018.
  3. Web site: Fernandez . Nick . Fox & Friends hosts founder of astroturfed #WalkAway "movement" who has appeared on Infowars . 2022-06-01 . Media Matters for America . October 2, 2018 . en.
  4. Web site: 2018-07-08 . Russian Bots Linked To Viral Twitter Attacks On 'Hateful' Dems . 2022-06-01 . HuffPost . en.
  5. Web site: 2020-06-28 . Pro-Trump & Russian-Linked Twitter Accounts Are Posing As Ex-Democrats In New Astroturfed Movement . 2022-06-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200628002126/https://arcdigital.media/pro-trump-russian-linked-twitter-accounts-are-posing-as-ex-democrats-in-new-astroturfed-movement-20359c1906d3 . 28 June 2020 . dead.
  6. News: Analysis The #WalkAway meme is what happens when everything is viral and nothing matters . en-US . Washington Post . 2022-06-01 . 0190-8286.
  7. News: FitSimons . Tim . Meet Brandon Straka, a gay former liberal encouraging others to #WalkAway from Democrats . March 18, 2019 . NBC News . August 21, 2018.
  8. Web site: Alex. Cooper. 2022-01-26. Convicted Gay Trump Ally Brandon Straka Cooperating With Authorities. www.gaycitynews.com. December 20, 2021 .
  9. Web site: Anderson . Jake . Omaha man convicted for role in Jan. 6 riot will not have probation ended early . KETV . 15 October 2023 . en . 24 August 2023.
  10. Web site: Walkaway Foundation . October 28, 2020.
  11. Web site: Walkaway Foundation - NYS Attorney General - Charities . October 28, 2020.
  12. Web site: Walkaway Foundation- Donate Now. October 28, 2020. November 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101033531/https://give.walkawayfoundation.org/campaign/how-were-going-to-defeat-the-radical-left/c306196. dead.
  13. Web site: Walkaway Campaign PAC - OpenSecrets . October 28, 2020.
  14. News: Isaacs . Deanna . July 10, 2019 . A dramatic confrontation between the right-wing political group #WalkAway and Theater Wit ends up on YouTube . The Chicago Reader .
  15. Web site: August 7, 2018 . Hi everyone, I'm Brandon Straka, founder of #WalkAway Campaign, a true grassroots movement... . August 20, 2020.
  16. Web site:
    1. Walkaway movement to hold Atlanta event amid questions about support
    . Suggs. Ernie. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. en. May 20, 2020. September 17, 2019.
  17. Web site: Walkaway Campaign PAC Summary OpenSecrets. May 20, 2020. www.opensecrets.org.
  18. News: Scott . Henry E. . Nearly 300 #WalkAway Demonstrators Rally in West Hollywood to Support Trump . January 3, 2021 . WEHOville . August 8, 2020.
  19. News: Activist Dominique Alexander, others detained following incident at Dallas WalkAway Campaign rally . WFAA . September 5, 2020.
  20. News: Satterfield . Kolbie . Political protests and rallies fill DC streets 1 month before election . WUSA9 . October 3, 2020.
  21. Web site: 2021-04-19. MAGA influencer Brandon Straka arrested in connection with Capitol assault. NBC News. January 26, 2021 .
  22. Web site: Duncan. Osborne. 2021-04-19. Social Media Platforms Run Away from #WalkAway Campaign – Gay City News. www.gaycitynews.com. January 13, 2021 .
  23. Web site: Fischer. Ashley Gold, Sara. Facebook, Twitter and the long march toward banning Trump. January 9, 2021. Axios. January 8, 2021 . en.
  24. Web site: Anti-Democrat WalkAway Campaign banished from Facebook. Fox News. January 9, 2021 .
  25. News: Gerstein. Josh. January 25, 2021. Stop the Steal organizer charged in Capitol riot. Politico. January 26, 2021.
  26. Web site: MAGA influencer Brandon Straka arrested in connection with Capitol assault. 2021-05-27. NBC News. January 26, 2021 . en.
  27. News: Hsu . Spencer . Pro-Trump social media influencer and speaker at Jan. 5 rally pleads guilty to disorderly conduct in Capitol riot . The Washington Post . October 6, 2021.
  28. News: Kyle . Cheney . Trump ally Straka has provided potentially significant information . Politico . December 17, 2021.
  29. Web site: Pro-Trump influencer sentenced to three years of probation for his participation in the Capitol riot . January 24, 2022 .
  30. News: Russian bots are using #WalkAway to try to wound Dems in midterms. Love. David A.. CNN. November 3, 2018.
  31. News: Analysis The #WalkAway meme is what happens when everything is viral and nothing matters. Ohlheiser. Abby. July 2, 2018. The Washington Post. en. November 3, 2018.
  32. Web site: Pro-Trump #WalkAway March has all the signs of a grifting operation. Michel. Casey. October 16, 2018. ThinkProgress.
  33. News: These people who "walked away from the Democrats" are stock-photo models. July 24, 2018. Fast Company. November 3, 2018. en-US.
  34. News: FACT CHECK: Did the #WalkAway Campaign Use Stock Photographs for People It Claimed Left the Democratic Party?. Snopes.com. November 3, 2018. en-US.

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