Viral El Paso videos show group in KKK-style robes
Police are investigating whether the participants, some of whom appear to be youths, violated disorderly conduct laws.
By Hassan Lawson ·
A group of people in white robes and hoods walked down a residential street in El Paso, Texas, while a bystander laughed and urged them to shout a slogan.
The incident went viral on social media this week. Footage shows the procession moving along a neighborhood road. In one clip, the person holding the camera says, “Y’all gotta yell something, güey,” using a Spanish slang term common in Mexico that translates to “dude.”
El Paso Police Chief Peter Pacillas confirmed the department is reviewing the event. He said the group reportedly included young people. Officers are determining if the conduct broke local laws, specifically looking for violations of disorderly conduct or other applicable offenses. Pacillas noted that symbols and language linked to the Ku Klux Klan carry a history of terror, violence, and racial hatred. He stated that treating that history as a costume is contrary to the values of respect and safety that define the city. The chief invited residents with information to come forward.
Local leaders reacted sharply on Monday morning. Carl B. Dwyer Jr., president of the NAACP’s El Paso branch, called the display deeply hurtful to Black Americans. He noted that the KKK has been a real-life terror since the Civil War. Dwyer spoke after supporters sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a hymn often called the Black national anthem. He described the emotional weight of the event with two words: “It hurts.”
Artie C. Maxwell Jr., pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church, provided historical context at the same news conference. He reminded the crowd that El Paso briefly sympathized with the Confederacy. Maxwell argued that the robes are not merely a joke when considering the lives lost to those who wore them. He urged local educators to remind students of history and its influence on the present. Dwyer specifically asked superintendents and school districts to speak up and take action on the matter.
Police have not yet issued a final determination on legal violations. The group remains unidentified in public records. The videos continue to circulate online, drawing attention to the specific street where the walk took place. Local officials maintain that free expression has limits when it crosses into conduct that threatens public order or the safety of others.
Source: NBC News
