Earlier this week, former NFL punter Chris Kluwe was arrested at a Huntington Beach City Council meeting while protesting against Donald Trump. He harshly criticized the “Make America Great Again” movement, comparing it to the Nazi movement in Germany, and signaled that he is prepared to do so again.
Kluwe was protesting a proposed MAGA acrostic plaque intended for placement outside the Central Library to commemorate the library’s 50th anniversary. The plaque would feature the words “Magical,” “Alluring,” “Galvanizing,” and “Adventurous,” alongside the phrase, “Through hope and change our nation has built back better to the golden era of Making America Great Again!” During the meeting, Kluwe did not hold back, labeling the MAGA movement as “explicitly a Nazi movement.”
“I want our elected democratic officials to start engaging in civil disobedience,” Kluwe said during his protest. “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.” Following his peaceful civil disobedience, Kluwe was arrested but remains committed to continuing his protests. “I am prepared to go to jail again,” he told Josh Peter of USA Today, “but I do think it’s that serious,’’ adding, “I’m unwilling to ask someone to do something that I’m unwilling to do myself.”
Kluwe believes his protest is crucial as he feels a responsibility to use his “privilege and power” to advocate for the oppressed. “It’s important for those with privilege and power like I do to be out there on the front lines supporting those who are being oppressed,” he stated. “We cannot expect the people being oppressed to do all the work. It’s on all of our shoulders to do that work, and I hope others are brave enough to join in.”
Kluwe emphasizes that others, including NFL team owners, should also take a stand. “I think the more important question to ask is why aren’t owners speaking out? Why aren’t people with real power, the ones who sign the checks, saying anything?” He insists on the importance of solidarity, stating, “If I want somebody to speak out for me, I have to be willing to speak out for them. I want to be in a world where everybody is free to be who they are.” Clearly, Kluwe is fully committed to opposing Donald Trump and encourages others to join him.
