Police and the El Paso, Texas, branch of the NAACP are condemning a group of people, possibly including young people, who were shown wearing white robes and Ku Klux Klan-style hoods in viral social media videos.
The videos show the group walking down a street in the neighborhood, which police say is in El Paso. In one video, the person recording can be heard laughing and telling the group, “You all need to shout something, buddy.” » (“Güey” is Spanish slang, most commonly used in Mexico, similar to “dude” in English.)
Carl B. Dwyer Jr., president of the El Paso branch of the NAACP, denounced the protest at a news conference Monday morning as deeply hurtful to black Americans, for whom the KKK has been a terror since the Civil War.
“Many think this is just a joke,” he said after his supporters joined them in singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the anthem often called the black national anthem.
“It hurts,” Dwyer said. “It hurts.”
El Paso Police Chief Peter Pacillas said in a statement that the department was investigating whether the group, “apparently including youths,” violated any laws, including disorderly conduct “or other applicable offenses.”
“The symbols and language associated with the Ku Klux Klan represent a history of terror, violence and racial hatred,” he said. “They have no place in our community. Treating this story as a costume or a joke is unacceptable and contrary to the values of respect and safety that define El Paso.”
Artie C. Maxwell Jr., pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church in El Paso, also spoke at Monday’s news conference and provided historical context for a city that briefly sympathized with the Confederacy.
“We may think it’s a joke, but it’s not a joke when it comes to the lives that came before us,” he said. “My God, how many died at the hands of those who wore these costumes.”
Pacillas urged those with information about the incident to come forward.
“Freedom of expression has limits when it results in behavior that threatens public order or the safety of others,” he said.
Dwyer urged local educators to remind students of history and its influence on the present.
“We’re calling on all superintendents, all school districts, please speak up about this. Please do something about this,” he said.
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