Chris Kluwe, a former NFL punter, was arrested and taken out of a council meeting due to an anti-MAGA rant.

 

Chris Kluwe, a former Minnesota Vikings punter, was removed from a Huntington Beach city council meeting after disrupting an anti-MAGA rant. Kluwe, a Vikings player from 2005 to 2012, appeared at the meeting and made a harsh criticism of Donald Trump supporters.

 

Despite opposition from some attendees, Kluwe, 43, continued to voice his opinions, stating, 'MAGA is profoundly corrupt, unmistakably anti-democracy, and most importantly, MAGA is explicitly a Nazi movement.' He went on to compare the MAGA movement to a Nazi symbol, saying, 'You may have replaced a Swastika with a red hat, but that is what it is.'

 

Kluwe's announcement of his intention to engage in peaceful civil obedience led to an escalation of the situation. Upon moving towards the city council, he was quickly detained by multiple officers. Kluwe was detained and escorted out of City Hall, an event that was partially documented on video.

 

Kluwe was charged by the Huntington Beach Police Department with disrupting an assembly. He was released after spending four hours in custody. Known for his outspoken views, Kluwe has made headlines in the past, including a 2012 protest against the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s exclusion of punters, for which he was fined $5,000. In 2014, Kluwe asserted that his support for same-sex marriage caused him to be released by the Vikings.