Former NFL Punter Kluwe arrested during city council protest over MAGA plaque
Alona Yadav | Feb 20, 2025, 19:24 IST
( Image credit : Agencies )
Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe was arrested during a Huntington Beach city council meeting for protesting a 'MAGA' plaque. Kluwe was detained after calling MAGA an 'explicitly Nazi movement' and criticizing its values. He spent four hours in custody before being released.
Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe was arrested on charges of disturbing an assembly during a Huntington Beach, California city council meeting Tuesday, according to the city's arrest log.
The 43-year-old former Minnesota Vikings player was protesting the council's approval of a public library plaque designed with an acrostic that spelled out "MAGA," the acronym for President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.
Video footage from the meeting shows Kluwe reading a prepared statement that characterized MAGA as "explicitly a Nazi movement." After announcing his intention to engage in "peaceful civil disobedience," Kluwe left the lectern and approached the council members' bench, at which point police officers quickly detained him, placed him in handcuffs, and physically carried him from the room.
In his statement, Kluwe delivered a pointed critique: "MAGA stands for trying to erase trans people from existence. MAGA stands for re-segregation and racism. MAGA stands for censorship and book bans," he continued, listing additional criticisms before concluding, "You may have replaced a swastika with a red hat, but that is what it is."
According to the Orange County Register, Kluwe spent approximately four hours in custody before being released.
Kluwe's NFL career spanned eight years from 2005 to 2012. He initially signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent before being claimed off waivers by the Vikings. Though he competed for a roster spot with the Raiders in 2013, he did not make the final cut.
When announcing his retirement in a 2014 interview with USA TODAY Sports, Kluwe suggested that his outspoken views, including his vocal support for same-sex marriage and previous criticisms of coaches, likely contributed to teams' reluctance to sign him.
The 43-year-old former Minnesota Vikings player was protesting the council's approval of a public library plaque designed with an acrostic that spelled out "MAGA," the acronym for President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.
Video footage from the meeting shows Kluwe reading a prepared statement that characterized MAGA as "explicitly a Nazi movement." After announcing his intention to engage in "peaceful civil disobedience," Kluwe left the lectern and approached the council members' bench, at which point police officers quickly detained him, placed him in handcuffs, and physically carried him from the room.
In his statement, Kluwe delivered a pointed critique: "MAGA stands for trying to erase trans people from existence. MAGA stands for re-segregation and racism. MAGA stands for censorship and book bans," he continued, listing additional criticisms before concluding, "You may have replaced a swastika with a red hat, but that is what it is."
According to the Orange County Register, Kluwe spent approximately four hours in custody before being released.
Kluwe's NFL career spanned eight years from 2005 to 2012. He initially signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent before being claimed off waivers by the Vikings. Though he competed for a roster spot with the Raiders in 2013, he did not make the final cut.
When announcing his retirement in a 2014 interview with USA TODAY Sports, Kluwe suggested that his outspoken views, including his vocal support for same-sex marriage and previous criticisms of coaches, likely contributed to teams' reluctance to sign him.