OC Braces For 'White Lives Matter' Rally After KKK Fliers Found

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA — Just days after Ku Klux Klan fliers were found around Huntington Beach, police were gearing up for possible unrest. A "White Lives Matter" rally was expected to draw demonstrators and counter-protestors on Sunday, according to multiple reports.

The small coastal town is just one of several cities bracing for events like these on the same day. The Anti-Defamation League's Center for Extremism recently issued a warning that white supremacists are organizing these marches across the U.S.

The rally, which is believed to be part of a nationally coordinated group of white supremacist protests across the country at various cities, is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Huntington Beach Pier.

Storefronts and restaurants in downtown Huntington Beach were warned of the possible rally this week, Huntington Beach Police Lt. Brian Smith told Patch.

"There will be a noticeable increased police presence in the area, and we have contingency plans in place to address issues that may arise," Smith said.

The Orange County Regional Mounted Enforcement Unit may join the effort, smith said. "And should it be needed, we have other Orange County agencies on standby for mutual aid," He added.

Police did not disclose any other details on further plans to mitigate civil unrest triggered by the rally, which was reportedly organized by the Loyal White Knights.

Smith told the Los Angeles Times that the rally was protected by the 1st Amendment.

"That’s all protected speech," Smith told the Times, making a comparison to anti-abortion groups that wield signage with pictures of aborted fetuses. "Even though that is disturbing and shocks most people’s consciences, it’s still a protected right they have to display those images."

Activists planned a counter-protest at the pier at 11 a.m., according to Black Lives Matter Huntington Beach.

"We need to show that Huntington Beach will no longer tolerate racism in any way, shape or form. This will not be a reflection of our city," Tory Johnson, founder of the Huntington Beach group, told the Los Angeles Times.

Despite earlier reports, the Orange County NAACP did not organize a counter-protest, officials said in a statement on Saturday.

"While the OC NAACP applauds the efforts of peaceful protest nationwide, we do not sanction this particular event or seek to make our position clear on this issue," the statement reads. "Our prayers are for the safety of all individuals and we would never impede on anyone's right to freedom of speech."

The planned rallies across the U.S. come as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are experiencing an uptick in violence and crimes targeting their communities.

Sens. Dave Min, D-Irvine, and Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana, and Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, D-Newport Beach, slammed the Sunday rally in a Friday statement.

"We unequivocally condemn white nationalism and the racist ideology promoted by the Ku Klux Klan," the statement reads. "While we acknowledge the rights of all Americans — even the vilest racists out there — to express their opinions, we want to loudly and clearly state that the views expressed by the KKK and other white nationalist groups do not reflect the views of Orange County's residents or elected officials.

"Our rich diversity makes Orange County and Huntington Beach stronger and better. We join the Huntington Beach City Council in condemning white supremacy and applaud it for planning a series of pro-diversity events to counter the disgusting message being promoted by the KKK and other organizers of the White Lives Matter rally this weekend."

Huntington Beach has long been saddled with a reputation of extremism and racist culture. In the 1980s and 1990s, there were several incidents in which skinheads attacked minorities, the Los Angeles Times reported.

SEE ALSO: U.S. Cities Brace For Possible 'White Lives Matter' Events Sunday

Huntington Beach Interim Police Chief Julian Harvey also posted the following statement on Facebook this week:

"We hope events such as this will serve as an opportunity for unity rather than a platform to spread hate, bigotry and division. The City of Huntington Beach proudly stands by the values of diversity, equity and inclusion.

"Toward this end, the men and women of the Huntington Beach Police Department will professionally and impartially perform their duties. I can assure you, we will not tolerate any acts of violence or criminal behavior meant to intimidate others."

A virtual workshop will also be held by the OC Human Relations Council to combat public acts of racism, according to its leader Alison Edwards.

"It will provide tools for how to stand up and interrupt when you see hate and bigotry," she said. "If you can be reasonably sure you can be safe, there are a series of things people can do" when they encounter a racist act in public, "like creating a distraction like just asking what time is it to break up the interaction," Edwards said.

Since January, Edwards said her organization has logged 14 anti-Asian hate incidents. One of those targeted was U.S. Olympic karate athlete Sakura Kokumai, who recently chronicled how she was subjected to racist insults while she was working out at a park in Orange.

A recent report released by Stop AAPI Hate recorded 3,795 incidents of harassment and assault against Asian Americans in the U.S. between Feb. 28 and March 19.

What's more, an analysis of police department statistics revealed that hate crimes targeting Asian Americans rose by almost 150 percent in 2020. The study was released by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

Edwards added that the HRC is also working on efforts to provide a forum for residents when verdicts come down in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the in-custody killing of George Floyd in Minnesota last year.

In response to the KKK fliers, the Huntington Beach City Council landed on a 6-0 vote Monday, with one abstention, passed a resolution reaffirming the city's commitment to inclusivity and two others denouncing hate speech, and specifically white supremacy.

Peter Levi, regional director for the Anti-Defamation League in Orange County, said the White Lives Matter phrase dates back to 2015. It was a "racist response" to the "racial justice issues going on in our country" at the time, Levi said.

It is difficult to know how many people will show up for the rally, Levi said. But he noted that "every day we've learned after Jan. 6 that if you show up and show your face, there are real-world consequences," referring to the Jan. 6 insurrection in the Capitol in which many participants were identified through social media posts.

The amount of racist propaganda doubled last year compared with 2019, Levi said. There were about 5,000 pieces of propaganda circulated in communities and on campuses, he said.

"We've recorded 49 white supremacist propaganda incidents in Orange County just in 2020," Levi said.

The racist KKK fliers can often be tools to guide people to online forums, where activists "drag people down these rabbit holes" and most of the radicalization takes place, Levi said. The movement is driven by "these crazy fabricated conspiracy theories about white people being replaced," he said.

White supremacists are especially active during times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Levi said.

"What we have learned is that any crisis — economic, health or even natural disasters — are opportunities that extremists will exploit to spread their message," he said. "We've certainly seen it through the pandemic."

It's always a tough call to determine when to get involved in objecting to white supremacists gatherings, Levi said.

"Sometimes it brings more attention and brings a megaphone to others who might not otherwise get it," he said. "It's always a consideration for counter-protesters. There are also health and safety issues for everyone involved... We certainly want to protect First Amendment rights and hopefully not have anything dangerous happen for anyone... But sometimes we need to put our voice out there because to do nothing is worse."

The City News Service and Patch staffer Kat Schuster contributed to this report.