What happened to Chris Kluwe? Former NFL player’s Vikings dismissal explored amid arrest over a protest

Former NFL player, Chris Kluwe, was arrested on Tuesday after causing a disruption at the Huntington Beach City Council meeting. Kluwe was protesting the proposed installation of a MAGA plaque outside the Central Library for the institution's 50th anniversary celebration.

The City Council had chosen the words 'Magical', 'Alluring', 'Galvanizing', and 'Adventurous' to spell out the acronym MAGA, a slogan associated with the Republcan Party, and popularized by President Donald Trump.

In a video circulating online, Kluwe is seen addressing the seven-member governing body and refering to MAGA as an "explicitly Na*i movement." The former punter stated that he intended to engage in a peaceful civil disobedience. In the video, Kluwe is seen claiming:

"MAGA stands for trying to erase trans people from existence. MAGA stands for re-segregation and racism. MAGA stands for censorship and book bans. MAGA stands for firing air traffic controllers while planes are crashing. MAGA stands for firng the people overseeing our nuclear arsenal."

He added:

"MAGA stands for firing military veterans and those serving them at the VA, including canceling research on veteran suicide. MAGA stands for cutting funds to education, including for disabled children. MAGA is profoundly corrupt, unmistakably anti-democracy, and, most importantly, MAGA is explicitly a Na*i movement. You may have replaced a s**stika with a red hat, but that is what it is."

After delivering his statement, Kluwe was arrested by the police as he approached the bench. The video shows officers carrying him out of the room, after he protested and refused to co-operate. According to a report by Orange County Register, Kluwe was detained in custody for four hours.

Chris Kluwe's history of activism explored

Chris Kluwe played in the NFL for eight years, beginning his career with the Seattle Seahawks in 2005 before transferring to Minnesota Vikings. In May 2013, he was released by the team after eight years. Later, the former player in a lengthy blogpost elaborated on what he believed led to his dismissal. Here is an excerpt of the post, as reproduced by Deadspin:

"In May 2013, the Vikings released me from the team. At the time, quite a few people asked me if I thought it was because of my recent activism for same-s*x marriage rights, and I was very careful in how I answered the question. My answer, verbatim, was always, 'I honestly don't know, because I'm not in those meetings with the coaches and administrative people.'"

He further writes:

"This is a true answer. I honestly don't know if my activism was the reason I got fired. However, I'm pretty confident it was."

In his post, he also alleges that he witnessed anti-gay bigotry from team coordinator, Mike Priefer:

"Throughout the months of September, October, and November, Minnesota Vikings special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer would use homophobic language in my presence. He had not done so during minicamps or fall camp that year, nor had he done so during the 2011 season. He would ask me if I had written any letters defending 'the gays' recently and denounce as disgusting the idea that two men would kiss, and he would constantly belittle or demean any idea of acceptance or tolerance. I tried to laugh these off while also responding with the notion that perhaps they were human beings who deserved to be treated as human beings."

According to a report in The Guardian published in 2014, a representative for Minnesota Vikings shared In response:

“Any notion that Chris was released from our football team due to his stance on marriage equality is entirely inaccurate and inconsistent with team policy. Chris was released strictly based on his football performance.”

Kluwe had publicly spoken against a proposed amendment to the the Minnesota State constitution that sought to define marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman.