Chris Kluwe Arrested for Protesting MAGA Movement at Council Meeting

Chris Kluwe advocates for increased civil disobedience in today’s political climate.

The former Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, known for his outspoken nature during his NFL career, continued this trend into retirement. He was arrested at a Huntington Beach city council meeting in California for speaking out against Donald Trump’s “MAGA” movement and promoting civil disobedience.

“Unfortunately it’s clear that this council does not listen, so instead I’m going to take my time to say what MAGA has stood for these past three weeks. MAGA stands for trying to erase trans people from existence. MAGA stands for re-segregation and racism. MAGA stands for censorship and book bans. MAGA stands for firing air traffic controllers while planes are crashing. MAGA stands for firing the people overseeing our nuclear arsenal. MAGA stands for firing military veterans and those serving them at the VA — including cancelling research on veteran suicide. MAGA stands for cutting funds for education, including for disabled children. MAGA is profoundly corrupt, unmistakable anti-democracy, and most importantly, MAGA is explicitly a Nazi movement. You may have replaced a swastika with a red hat — but that’s what it is. I will now engage in the time-honored American tradition of peaceful civil disobedience.”

Kluwe attended the meeting to voice his objections against a proposal to install a plaque outside the Huntington Beach City Library that praised the MAGA movement. The plaque’s wording included terms like “Magical,” “Alluring,” “Galvanizing,” and “Adventurous,” creating an acronym that echoed MAGA while also stating, “Through hope and change our nation has built back better to the golden era of Making America Great Again!”

The former NFL player’s remarks were met with applause and cheers from the audience, shortly before police carried him out of the building.

Kluwe, who ranks as the No. 2 punter in Vikings history, has a history of advocating for social issues. He claimed that he faced marginalization from the Vikings organization for supporting same-sex marriage, leading to his release in 2014. A lawsuit followed, resulting in a settlement where the Vikings donated to five LGBTQ organizations and committed to reducing stigma against the LGBTQ community in sports.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Kluwe expressed his desire for elected officials to participate in civil disobedience.

“People need to be aware that what’s going on with this administration is leading us down a really dark path. Right now, no one is willing to step up and do that. So, if I want to ask them to do it, then I have to be willing to do it too.”

Council member Gracey Van Der Mark labeled Kluwe’s protest as “scary,” suggesting that he sought his “five minutes of fame.” In response to Kluwe’s comments about MAGA, she stated that it was part of an effort to “take back” Huntington Beach from liberal values.

“The city of Huntington Beach has always been conservative, and they tried to change that, and we’re just taking it back to the way it was. If I wanted to live in a liberal city with liberal values, I would have stayed in Los Angeles.”

Kluwe remains committed to protesting against the current administration.