A clash between the KKK and anti-racist protesters in Oxnard illustrated rising organized resistance to white supremacist public events in late 1970s California.
Key Facts
- Date
- July 30, 1978
- Location
- Oxnard municipal community center, California
- KKK planned activity
- Screening of The Birth of a Nation for recruiting and fundraising
- Protest organizers
- Progressive Labor Party and Committee Against Racism
- Law enforcement present
- Oxnard Police and Ventura County Sheriffs
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Ku Klux Klan scheduled a screening of The Birth of a Nation at the Oxnard municipal community center as a recruiting and fundraising drive. This provoked organized opposition from the Progressive Labor Party and the Committee Against Racism, who mobilized demonstrators to confront the event.
On the afternoon of July 30, 1978, anti-Klan demonstrators, who outnumbered both the Klan and law enforcement, disrupted the screening. A physical confrontation broke out, followed by a hours-long standoff between protesters on one side and Klan members and police on the other at the community center.
After several hours of unrest, police dispersed the demonstration and brought the situation under control. The episode illustrated the capacity of leftist and anti-racist organizations to mobilize large crowds against KKK public appearances, effectively disrupting the Klan's planned event.
Political Outcome
Police dispersed protesters after hours of confrontation; the KKK screening was disrupted and the demonstration forcibly ended.