Nearly 1,000 people gathered at Main Beach on Saturday for a Pride Month protest that included pointed political messaging aimed at President Donald Trump.
Amid other slogans, there was a message in the sand stirred controversy: “86 47.” In popular slang, “86” means to cancel or eliminate, while “47” refers to Trump’s status as the 47th president. Critics quickly condemned the phrase as a veiled threat, not a harmless slogan.
“The message they’re sending isn’t peace — it’s aggression dressed in rainbow colors,” said Mike LeLieur, chair of the Santa Cruz County Republican Party, in an interview with Fox News Digital. “They talk about kindness, but this was a coded call to eliminate someone they disagree with. That’s not kindness — it’s hypocrisy.”
The display echoes a similar incident earlier this month when former FBI Director James Comey posted a beach image with “86 47” written in shells. The post was later deleted following backlash and law enforcement scrutiny.
Participants in the Santa Cruz event defended the protest as symbolic and nonviolent, saying “86 47” expressed rejection of Trump’s policies, not a literal call to action.
Still, tensions remain high. Local conservatives report increasing hostility.
Daniel Enriquez of the California Republican Assembly accused local progressive groups of fostering a “political environment of non-acceptance and persecution.”
In response, Indivisible co-leader Jenny Evans said peaceful public demonstrations are essential for civic engagement.
“When a great number of people come out to do something like this, it’s just one more way to show that we’re not going to quietly go along,” she said.
The protest coincided with Santa Cruz’s 50th annual Pride celebration.
