Extremist hate groups, aggressive warnings of death, and widespread revulsion: the alleged murder of Charlie Kirk incites a tumultuous response in Huntington Beach
In the sun-kissed coastal city of Huntington Beach, a somber event took an unexpected turn last weekend as white supremacists disrupted a memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Videos from Saturday's gathering showed some attendees waving flags associated with the Patriot Front, a white nationalist organization founded in 2017.
The memorial, which also honoured Iryna Zarustka, a woman killed in Charlotte, N.C., was intended as a solemn occasion to mourn. However, dozens of men joined the vigil, chanting "White men fight back." This disruption caused a quick exit by event organiser, Tim Twining, who has faced backlash and even death threats due to incorrect assumptions about his support for white nationalists.
Huntington Beach, known as a West Coast beacon for Trump and MAGA, has a history of fringe white supremacist activity dating back to the 1980s and 1990s. In 1995, a pair of white supremacists fatally shot a Black man in the city, and more recently, the Patriot Front was sued for a racist attack on a black musician in Boston in 2022, with the court ordering them to pay $2.75 million in damages.
The incidents rekindled memories of skinhead activity that once plagued the conservative Orange County beach city. Barbara Richardson, a resident of Huntington Beach since the 1970s, criticized the city leaders for extending the mourning period for Charlie Kirk, fearing it would contribute to rising tensions in the city.
City Hall in Huntington Beach issued a statement denouncing violence following Kirk's assassination. Jerry Geyer, a resident, took matters into his own hands, riding his bicycle to block the path of the Patriot Front group and shouting expletives at them.
Brian Levin, the founder of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, believes the U.S. is witnessing a splintering within both the left and right, with extremist groups exploiting this polarization to advance their message. Despite the disruptions, there are no publicly known leaders or prominent members of the Patriot Front group associated with the events honoring Charlie Kirk in Huntington Beach.
Conservatives are demanding the firing of people who posted online comments about Kirk they considered offensive. As the city grapples with these events, residents like Richardson watch with horror, seeing the white supremacist chants as an unwelcome reminder of past events they hoped had been left behind.
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