KKK Fliers Appear in California Ahead of Planned 'White Lives Matter' March
A number of Ku Klux Klan fliers have been delivered to homes in a California neighborhood following reports that a white supremacist march is set to take place in the state next month.
The propaganda appeared outside homes in the Newport Heights community of Newport Beach on Sunday. The fliers from the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan contained racist imagery and rhetoric, including a hooded klansman riding a horse while holding a burning cross.
The fliers also contained slogans such as "it's OK to be white" and urging people to "say no to cultural genocide."
"To think that there are people in our neighborhood that are not only maybe even secretly in support of it, but obviously openly supporting a group like this is hard for me to reconcile as an American and a human," Olivia Slutzky, whose husband found one of the KKK fliers outside their Newport Heights home, told KABC.
Newport Beach Police confirmed they have received reports about the fliers and are investigating. When contacted by Newsweek, a spokesperson said the department does not have any updates at this time.
In a statement to The Daily Pilot, Newport City Council Mayor Brad Avery said: "Unfortunately, this is a common tactic used by some hate groups today. We condemn the group's ideology and assure our residents that the Newport Beach Police Department is actively investigating to determine the individual or group responsible for distributing these materials."
Council on American-Islamic Relations Los Angeles Executive Director Hussam Ayloush told Newsweek: "We strongly condemn the ideology of hatred and intolerance spread by the Ku Klux Klan. The flames of bigotry and intolerance are still burning bright in the hearts of some twisted individuals.
"These flyers show that hatred is continuing to spread through our cities, regardless of affluence or social standing. We will continue to stand up and defend our fellow community members in the face of hatred."
The KKK fliers emerged following reports that a white supremacist march has been organized for April 11 at Huntington Beach, California.
The planned "White Lives Matter" rally is just one of a number which are being discussed by hate groups on the encrypted messaging app Telegram in cities such as Orlando, Las Vegas and Chicago.
The details surrounding many of the marches are minimal, with a majority not providing details such as an actual location. Other channels used to promote such events also have very few subscribers, seeding doubt that any of them will take place.
"Patriots all over this nation are peacefully marching to raise awareness for whites being victims of massive interracial crime and also persecution by the government," a post on the White Lives Matter Telegram channel reads.
However, one of the social media channels promoting an event in Orange County claims that the "tentative location" for the April 11 march will be in front of the Huntington Beach Pier.
The channel itself currently only has 81 subscribers and no comments discussing the apparent event.
Huntington Beach Interim Police Chief Julian Harvey said they were made aware of the possible demonstration and are gathering intelligence.
"[Deployment] always depends on the nature of the demonstration, the anticipated number of attendees and perhaps the stated intent," Harvey told The Daily Pilot. "Sometimes the stated intent is anarchy or violence, or both—we plan accordingly."
Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr also condemned any plans for a white supremacist march.
"These protests are not indicative of our community," she said. "We don't stand for hate. We're a welcoming community. We embrace everyone, and to have these continued rallies, this one in particular, is truly offensive. I'm all for the First Amendment, but I think too many people hide behind the First Amendment to promote hate speech."
