Earlier this week, former NFL punter Chris Kluwe was arrested at a Huntington Beach City Council after a protest where he had some harsh criticism for Donald Trump and compared the “Make America Great Again” movement to the Nazi movement in Germany. And it sounds like he’s willing to do it again.
Kluwe was protesting a proposed MAGA acrostic plaque set to be placed outside of the Central Library for the library’s 50th anniversary. The plaque is set to have the words “Magical,” “Alluring,” “Galvanizing” and “Adventurous” next to each other along with the words “Through hope and change our nation has built back better to the golden era of Making America Great Again!”
During the meeting, Chris Kluwe did not hold back his true thoughts on the plaque as he called the MAGA movement “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.”
Kluwe was arrested after a show of peaceful civil disobedience, and it sounds like he’s willing to do it again.
“I am prepared to go to jail again but I do think it’s that serious,’’ Kluwe told Josh Peter of USA Today. “And I’m unwilling to ask someone to do something that I’m unwilling to do myself.’’
Kluwe believes that his act of protest was important because he has “privilege and power” and is speaking out for those who are oppressed.
“It’s important [those] who have privilege and power like I do to be out there on the front lines helping support those who are being oppressed,’’ Kluwe said. “Because 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 other people are brave enough and willing enough to do this.’’
Kluwe thinks that others – including the NFL team owners – should be doing the same.
“I think the more important question to ask is why aren’t owners speaking out?’’ Kluwe said. “Why aren’t people with real power, people who sign the checks, why aren’t they saying anything?’’
Kluwe made it clear that he thinks it’s important that everyone has each other’s backs.
“If I want somebody to speak out for me, I have to be willing to speak out for them,” Kluwe said. “I want to be in a world where everybody is free to be who they are.’’
Clearly, Kluwe is going all out in his opposition to Donald Trump, and he wants others to join him.
