Ex-NFL punter Chris Kluwe was detained during a demonstration at a city council session in Huntington Beach, California on Tuesday.
Kluwe was opposing Huntington Beach’s choice to exhibit a plaque at its public library that places the terms “Magical,” “Alluring,” “Galvanizing,” and “Adventurous” together to form the acronym MAGA. All members of Huntington Beach’s City Council, totaling seven, are Republicans.
Footage from the city council session captures Kluwe condemning the MAGA movement in the public discussion segment, labeling it “a Nazi movement” and expressing his intent to participate in civil disobedience. After Kluwe approached the front of the meeting where the city council is, police placed him in handcuffs and removed him from the premises.
Kluwe was apprehended on a charge of interrupting a gathering. He informed the Orange County Register later that he was freed after approximately four hours in detention.
Kluwe, 43 years old, played in the NFL between 2005 and 2013, primarily with the Vikings, though he also had brief periods with the Seahawks and Raiders. He mentioned at the conclusion of his career that his political views, such as his backing for same-sex marriage and his disapproval of homophobia in football, had rendered it improbable for any team to recruit him.