Leftist Protesters Were ‘Tipped Off’ About Ted Cruz’s Arrival at Restaurant

The organizers of the protest that occurred in a Washington D.C. restaurant involving Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and his wife have identified themselves as members of various left-wing organizations, according to The Washington Post.

These members hailed from a left-wing groups including a local Antifa group called “Smash Racist DC,” which is a branch of the Democratic Socialists of America.

One of the members said she wanted to talk to Cruz about Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. She said that she is a survivor of sexual assault and that she “believe[s] all survivors.”

The protesters told The Post that they were “tipped off” that evening and waited at the Fiola bar for an hour before Cruz and his wife arrived.

First Came the Chanting

The owner of the D.C. restaurant, where the group protested Cruz, said that his employees have since received death threats over to the incident.

Fabio Trabocchi, owner of Fiola, released a statement on Twitter that praised his staff for their handling of the anti-Kavanaugh protesters on Sept. 24. He said that they had behaved with “the highest level of professionalism and passion.”

A video captured the incident inside Fiola where protesters yelled “We believe survivors” to shame Cruz for his support for Kavanaugh on Sept. 24.

Kavanaugh, who is President Donald Trump’s nominee for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, has recently been defending himself against several sexual assault claims. The claims have effectively derailed the constitutional process of confirming a judicial nominee in its tracks, Kavanaugh told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 26.

While the protesters were yelling, Cruz and his wife Heidi got out of their seats and made their way through the crowd.

On their way out of the restaurant, a protester yelled “Beto is hotter than you.” Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) is running against Ted Cruz in the upcoming 2018 Senate elections.

An employee wearing a white suit jacket can be seen in the video escorting the couple out the side entrance of the restaurant. He then asked the protesters to leave the premises.

“I am grateful for a team that treated everyone with respect and kept their heads,” Trabocchi said on his Twitter statement. “ The authorities were called to help restore order to our establishment.”

Trabocchi was proud that his team looked out for his customers’ best interests.

“I am proud of how quick our team adjusted,” Trabocchi stated, “discreetly bringing Senator and Mrs. Cruz back through the kitchen, and proceeded to serve them a wonderful dinner, alongside the other Fiola patrons.”

Then Came the Death Threats

But the harassment didn’t end there. Trabocchi said that he, his staff, and their families have received “life-threatening” messages ever since the incident occurred. Trabocchi said in his tweet on Sept. 27 that despite the anger that has been directed at them and the ones they love, his staff continue to be brave in the face of hate.

“They have shown remarkable grit and calm,” Trabocchi said.

Despite working in the “hospitality,” Trabocchi said that now, his business has had to engage in “public safety,” with “privacy consultants and investigators” having “implemented additional safety and security measures” across all his restaurants within 24 hours of the protests to ensure the “privacy, safety, and security of our staff and guests.”

Trabocchi said that he believes that all “voices” of the people are welcome and necessary “to make a republic work,” and that this “requires respect, listening, and sometimes a little etiquette, like keeping your elbows and politics off the dinner table.”

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