White Supremacist Propaganda Appears in California Cities as They Brace for White Lives Matter Rally

There have been multiple reports of white supremacist propaganda appearing in Southern California cities over the past few weeks, ahead of a White Lives Matter rally that is planned to occur on Sunday at Huntington Beach.

The most recent incident occurred in the Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach, where handwritten flyers were found Wednesday morning that contained the white supremacist slogan: "the 14 words," according to the Long Beach Post, which the Anti Defamation League (ADL) said means, "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children."

"I'm extremely disheartened that somebody used our community as a platform to spread hate," Long Beach City Councilman Al Austin told the Post Wednesday.

Many flyers were found taped outside of local businesses in the Bixby Knolls area.

After Chris Callopy, the executive director for the Teachers Association of Long Beach, found a flyer posted outside of a glass case in front of his organization's offices, he immediately called the police.

He reviewed the building's security camera footage that the Post shared to YouTube Wednesday, which captured an unidentified individual in the left hand corner of the screen posting one of the white supremacist flyers around 1:15 a.m.

"It's just so bizarre," Callopy told the Post. "I've been working here in Long Beach for 13 years, and I've never seen something like that before."

Days prior on Easter Sunday, the Huntington Beach police department was notified of several fliers promoting the KKK that morning and conducted an initial investigation, Lieutenant Brian Smith from the Huntington Beach police department told Newsweek.

One Twitter user shared an image of the distributed flyer, which contained a hooded klansman and a burning cross, later that evening and chose to omit the phone number and website.

"Say no to cultural genocide," the flyer stated in part.

Smith said that the flyers appeared to be the same ones that were left around Newport Beach a week prior.

These flyers were distributed to the homes of residents in the area from the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Newsweek previously reported.

In regard to the upcoming White Lives Matter rally, Smith said, "So far, we have been unable to identify who is organizing the event and nobody has contacted the Huntington Beach Police Department to discuss their plans. Typically, organizers contact the Police Department to discuss their plans ahead of time to ensure they are in compliance with laws and regulations."

He added that his department has been contacted by a Black Lives Matter representative who said that the rally will take place at Pier Plaza.

"Rallies and demonstrations in Pier Plaza are a common occurrence and do not require permits due to it being a public space, except for in certain circumstances such as if the organizer wants to set up a stage, restrict access to an area, or utilize utilities," Smith said.

"I can assure you, we will not tolerate any acts of violence or criminal behavior meant to intimidate others," Huntington Beach Chief of Police Julian Harvey said in a statement that made it clear the department is aware of the rally.

White supremacist propaganda efforts spiked in 2020 and nearly doubled since 2019, according to a report from the ADL.

Newsweek also reached out to the Long Beach police department.