Huntington Beach Stands Against White Supremacists Hatred

On April 11, far right extremists held “White Lives Matter” marches in several cities across the country. One such march happened in Huntington Beach  — with a 63% non-Hispanic white  population, it has long faced criticism about hate groups and racial incidents. 

The Los Angeles Times April 9, reported that a counter protest was organized for the same day by “the grassroots group Black Lives Matter Huntington Beach.” The Times included a link to the press release announcing the counterprotest. But BLM Global Network did not attend the Huntington Beach rally. In fact, the organization sent out emails to announce it would not attend any of the rallies planned for April 11, which read:

“We want to make it abundantly clear that Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation and Black Lives Matter Grassroots do not support counter-protesting ― the tactic of showing up to hate groups’ events to voice our opposition. While we understand counter-protests are organized with good intentions, it’s important to remember that only we keep us safe ― especially in the face of white supremacy. We must not be reactionary to white supremacy — but protective of our communities, our people, our well-being, and our dedication to Black liberation.

For that reason, we are not supporting or affiliated with any counterprotests you may hear about being organized in Huntington Beach (or anywhere else, at any time).”

The Huntington Beach Police Department reported they made 12 arrests and over the course of the day from 10:30 until 2:30, when they called an unlawful assembly. About 500 people showed up in the beach city to counter protest. RLn spoke to three of them; Maya Denola and Gina Lumbruno of the Good Trouble Brigade, a community organization that RLn wrote a story about in December 2020, and member of the Carry On Movement Jai Hudson. 

Carry On describes itself as a movement that functions as a role model for what a democracy looks like. It holds symposiums during demonstrations and strives to set an example of how the system should work. It is anti-racist, anti-fascist, and anti-Imperialist.

Hudson explained Carry On’s symposium’s serve to hold an honest discussion about people’s ignorance, in hopes people will leave a conversation with more wisdom than they came with. 

In this capacity it sets examples through traditional steps of how not to act as a patriarchy and how to act when children are present. 

That means when people ask to speak in public events such as rally’s, Carry On waits for a woman or girl to speak before Hudson speaks. This translates into daily life and the dynamic when men and women are together, women often get cut off and spoken over. Men get their point across without consideration of who they interrupted. Hudson noted that the same issue happens between men of color too.

“Tradition becomes culture, “ Hudson said. Culture and celebration shows our values.”

When Hudson, who is Black, posted on social media about the Sunday rally, we contacted him to confirm that BLMGN was not present. From that communication, after confirming BLM was not at the rally, Hudson thoughtfully articulated his thoughts as a resident raised in the beach town. 

“For everyone that responded “what about white lives?” when we mentioned the value of black lives. For everyone that responded with “All Lives Matter,” for everyone that said “what about black on black crime?” And for everyone that shouted “white power.” Hudson wrote, “Your opportunity was yesterday.

He continued; “An overwhelming number of people including those of European descent … opposed a white lives matter rally while arguing against anti-blackness and white supremacy in general. They defend black life with all the energy they had for hours in Huntington Beach. 

“People from everywhere including HB locals fought back against the false racial superiority complex,” Hudson wrote. “ … They said “anti-blackness is not welcomed here in Orange County” and honestly, that’s unusual.”

Hudson remarked, it’s his belief that if he were a child again growing up in that city, he’d have a better opportunity in life than his path today. Meaning; “if we keep  this energy as a community, children like [him] growing up in HB should have a better quality of life.”

Good Trouble

Denola and Lumbruno of Good Trouble originally planned a rally at 6th and Mesa streets in San Pedro, where they held their vigils until the COVID-19 safer-at-home measures happened. It was planned to counter the April 11, Ku Klux Klan rally and to support their comrades in Huntington Beach, Lumbruno said. When they discovered an organization they knew well, Coalition For Community Control of the Police, was going to be at the Huntington Beach rally, they wanted to support them and switched locations. 

It was a diverse crowd of rally attendees the women noted, with a large portion of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and European whites. Throughout the day about 40 to 50 people, from different groups of white supremicists “kind of creeped in,” Lumbruno said.

“They didn’t come across Main Street and announce themselves,” Lumbruno said. They came down the side street and all of a sudden they were there.”

Denola noted they were individuals, who “popped on and popped off.” adding she didn’t see any organized presence of white nationalists or Proud Boys, which was funny because they’re the one who called for the rally. 

Lumbruno said she was almost scared to go — possibly expecting thousands of people.

Some of the white nationalists there they said looked hardcore. Others appeared to be “random white privileged racists, Denola said, with a smattering of conspiracy theorists.” She recounted having two very bizarre conversations. In the first conversation, a young Asian woman attempted to engage a white woman at the White Lives Matter rally in discussion about the racial backlash Asian Americans have faced as of late. The White Lives Matter demonstrator replied by reversing the narrative, “Do you mean all the Black people who are murdering Asian people?” To that Denola chimed in, who killed all those Asian people in Georgia?

Denola said the White Lives Matter demonstrator insisted that the Atlanta mass shooting was staged.

“Do they really believe that or is that their out?” Lumbruno said.  “They’ve been taught that from the insurrection.”

Denola recounted another experience in which a different White Lives Matter demonstrator claimed that rather than white nationalists it was agents of antifa who stormed the capitol Jan. 6. When asked, the woman said she didn’t know what Antifa stands for. So Denola explained it stands for anti fascists — you know, the people who fought the Nazi’s and Moussolini. Denola said the woman just looked at her and walked away.

Denola said she tried hard to have rational conversations, just as the women do at their vigils in San Pedro. Lumbruno said they just don’t understand, even what a white nationalist is. Both women said the police there,  “didn’t do shit but harass people.”

Lumbruno said it was chilling to see these people with hate dripping from their eyes. Every time a white supremicist got into the crowd, the crowd would “chant them” out – or verbally push them out. At one point Lumbruno thought she saw the KKK Grand Dragon Will Quigg. But it was someone who looked like him, being interviewed while three bodyguards stood by. The crowd stopped the interview by chanting. Lumbruno got so caught up in the moment, so much built up inside her, she was holding her sign up, yelling at him and chanting him down the street. 

Everybody yelled and chanted him down Main Street. They ended up about half a block from the police station. The police saw what was happening and escorted the man into the station. That’s when everyone gathered around, chanting at the police station. A couple of Proud Boys showed up and lined up with the police, Lumbruno noted. She thought it was odd. Then soon the police escorted the Proud Boys into the police station too. 

Both women commented that they would never receive protection like that from the police. They also made it a point to note that none of the counter protesters became violent. The only violence that happened was when the white nationalists tried to instigate it. 

“The idea was, they don’t get a space to express their hate speech,” Denola said. “The whole premise of the counterprotest was to send a clear and loud message about what we tolerate in these communities and what we don’t tolerate” 

Details: www.facebook.com/groups/carry-on-movement and www.facebook.com/San-Pedro-Good-Trouble-Brigade