Cranford candidate Will Thilly kung fu kicks through protest signs

There were less town hall speeches and more kung fu theater.

A local election candidate is causing a stir at a town meeting this week with a bizarre protest by dressing up in martial arts attire, unleashing a series of flying kicks and punching several of his own protest signs.

The man, identified in previous rallies as Will Thilly, is running as an independent candidate for the Cranford County Committee in New Jersey, railing against the local mayor on local taxes, development policy and civic union issues.

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At approximately the 45th minute of the broadcast meeting, Thilly approaches the podium in her blue outfit, yellow belt and black headband and begins to applaud.

He then asks them to join the stunned crowd in singing “Eye of the Tiger”.

That’s when two helpers on either side of the floor unfurl a sign that says “Unfair Taxes” and Thilly starts kicking the sign doing kung fu. A man in the crowd is seen laughing, another man puts his head in his hands, while a desperate old couple gets up and leaves.

But Thilly and his team are not done there.

His friends unfurl three more signs that read “Closing Our Pools,” “Overdevelopment,” and “Separatism,” and Thilly kung fu kicks each of them.

The two men then unfurl another sign that reads “Let Love Rule”, also decorated with loving hearts.

“Mr. Thilly, please forward your comments to the Borough Committee,” Mayor Terrence Curran is heard saying.

Unimpressed by this, Thilly then says, “This is love.” He walks up to it and two men embrace him and hug him to the sign.

Independent candidate Will Thilly performs a kung fu demonstration at the Cranford County Committee meeting in Cranford, NJ (CranfordTV35)

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Moments later, Thilly took the microphone and aired her complaints to the mayor, accusing him and the township committee of mishandling the controversial 30-year PILOT tax exemption agreement for a 250-unit apartment complex.

“You also voted for the 30-year tax break and PILOT for 750 Walnuts on October 8 last year. Then this July you said you never voted for this deal, you said I lied,” Thilly said.

“The fact that you, as our mayor, cannot remember that you voted for the largest financial settlement and loss in our town’s history is grounds for canceling that agreement… This is the real reason why our taxes have increased so much.”

He claimed that officials “censored” meetings and canceled candidates’ debate “for the first time in history”, claiming that the deal cost the town millions in lost revenue and contributed to increased property taxes.

Fox News Digital requested comment from Curran but did not immediately receive a response.

Thilly is not new to theatre. Last month, a video of the independent candidate breakdancing at another rally went viral and has been viewed more than 1.6 million times, CBS News New York reported Sept. 4.

Independent candidate Will Thilly points to a banner that reads “Let Love Rule” during the Cranford County Committee meeting on October 21, 2025 in Cranford, NJ. Dressed in martial arts attire, Thilly organized a kung fu-themed protest criticizing local taxes and development. (CranfordTV35)

In this appearance, Thilly moonwalked on the floor and did an upside down spin before using her allotted five minutes to complain about rising taxes. CBS News New York.

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“I think it was said that the referendum would save the average household about $400, and mine increased by about $900,” Thilly said.

After his speech, he went out on a moonwalk.

Curran called the show “completely distracting,” according to CBS.