Former Vikings punter Chris Kluwe arrested over protest at city council meeting

Kluwe punted for the Vikings from 2005 to 2008 and again in 2011

Aug 30, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe (5) punts against the Houston Texans in the second quarter at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Former Vikings punter Chris Kluwe was arrested Tuesday during a protest at a city council meeting in Huntington Beach, California.

The 43-year-old was demonstrating against a city council decision to display a plaque at the Huntington Beach public library that used the words "Magical," "Alluring," "Galvanizing," and "Adventurous" to spell out the acronym "MAGA," a slogan popularized by President Trump. All seven members of the Huntington Beach City Council are Republicans.

In a video from the meeting, Kluwe is seen criticizing the MAGA movement and providing examples of what it represents to him, including "erasing transgender people from existence," book bans, and "firing air traffic controllers while planes are crashing."

He concluded by calling the MAGA movement "a Nazi movement" before announcing his intent to engage in civil disobedience. Kluwe then approached the front of the room, where he was arrested and carried out by police.

Civil Disobedience is often necessary. Thank you @ChrisKluwe pic.twitter.com/HrbTCAZpru

— Protect HB (@protect_hb) February 19, 2025

Kluwe told The Orange County Register that he was released after about four hours in custody and noted that the police officers acted professionally throughout the situation. He was charged with disrupting an assembly.

"Just got out of jail," Kluwe posted on BlueSky at 1:12 a.m. CT. "Only forty four left to go to catch John Lewis’s record. Remember - peaceful civil disobedience. Don’t comply in advance."

During his NFL career, Kluwe played for the Vikings from 2005 to 2008 and again during the 2011 season. He appeared in 127 games for the team over five seasons. Kluwe also had short stints with the Seahawks and Raiders but did not play in any regular-season games for either team.

Throughout his career, Kluwe was an outspoken advocate for various social issues, including LGBTQ+ rights and marriage equality. In an interview with USA Today after his retirement, Kluwe expressed his belief that he was not given another NFL opportunity because teams were unwilling to sign him due to his outspoken stance on social issues.

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