Cranford candidate Will Thiele Kung Fu kicks through protest signs

It was less town hall discussion and more kung fu theater.

A local election candidate is making waves this week for his bizarre protest at a township meeting when he unleashed a series of flying kicks while wearing martial arts gear and punched several of his own protest signs.

The man known as Will Thiele in a previous theatrical stint is running for Cranford Township Committee as an independent. New Jerseyand is railing against local mayors over local taxes, development policy and civic unity.

Independent candidate Will Thiele performs a kung fu routine at a Cranford Township Committee meeting in New Jersey, kicking protest signs as part of a staged demonstration. (CranfordTV35)

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About 45 minutes into the streamed meeting, Thiele approaches the podium in his blue-colored gear, yellow belt and black headband and starts clapping.

He then sings “Eye of the Tiger” and asks the confused crowd to join in.

Then two helpers on either side of the floor hoist a sign that reads “”.unfair tax,” and Thili proceeds to kung fu kick it. A man in the crowd is seen laughing, another man holds his head in his hands, while a dejected old couple gets up and walks away.

But Thili and his crew didn’t stop there.

As Thili Kung Fu kicks through each of them, his friends read three other signs: “Closing our lake,” “Overdevelopment,” and “Division.”

The two men then unfolded another sign that read “Let Love Reign,” also adorned with a love heart.

“Mr. Thiele, please address your comments to the township committee,” Mayor Terrence Curran can be heard saying.

Undeterred, Thili then says, “This is love.” He walks towards it and two men hug him and wrap him in a sign.

Independent candidate Will Thiele does a kung fu chop at a Cranford Township Committee meeting in Cranford, NJ. (CranfordTV35)

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Moments later, Thiele took the microphone and aired his grievances with the mayor, alleging mishandling of a controversial 30-year pilot tax-abatement agreement for a 250-unit apartment complex.

“You voted for the 30-year tax break and even the pilot at 750 Walnut on Oct. 8 of last year. Then this July, I lied that you never voted for that deal,” Thiele said.

“You, our mayor, can’t remember that you voted for the biggest fiscal deal in our city’s history, and that’s the reason that deal is being scrapped… that’s the real reason our taxes have gone up so much.”

He charged that the deal cost the city millions in lost revenue and contributed to property tax hikes, claiming officials had “censored” meetings and canceled candidate debates “for the first time in history.”

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

Thiley is no stranger to theatrics. Last month, a video of the independent candidate breakdancing at another rally went viral, garnering more than 1.6 million views, according to CBS News New York on September 4.

Independent candidate Will Thiele waves to a banner reading “Let Love Be” during the Cranford Township Committee meeting on October 21, 2025 in Cranford, NJ. Thili, wearing martial arts gear, staged a kung fu-themed protest criticizing local taxes and development. (CranfordTV35)

In that scene, Tilley moonwalked across the floor and did a backspin before using his allotted five minutes to complain about rising taxes. CBS News New York.

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“We were told that the referendum was going to bring it up to $400 for the average family, I think, and mine went up to Rs. 900,” Thiele said, according to the outlet.

After his speech he went out for a moonwalk.

Curran dismissed the stunt as “completely distracting,” per CBS.