A city commission approved the placement of a “MAGA” plaque at a California public library in a GOP stronghold despite hundreds of people protesting the move.
KTLA-TV reported that the Huntington Beach Public Library plans to install a $7,000 bronze plaque that in part reads “Magical, Alluring, Galvanizing, Adventurous” as part of celebrations to mark the library’s 50th anniversary.
The first letters of the words, which are stacked vertically, spell out “MAGA,” the acronym more familiar to Americans as standing for “Make America Great Again,” President Donald Trump’s longtime campaign theme.
KTLA said that the catchphrase “appears to be a wholly new slogan created specifically for the plaque, with no ties to the official verbiage or brand identity of Huntington Beach or its public library system. A search for the phrase on the city’s website yielded no relevant results.”
Daily Pilot reporter Matt Szabo, who was present at Tuesday night’s meeting, reported that 300 emails had been sent in protest of the plaque and that “hundreds of attendees” at the Community and Library Services Commission meeting where the vote was taken also objected to the slogan.
Former Huntington Beach Councilmember Natalie Moser described the commemorative plaque as “political propaganda disguised as a celebration.”
“Libraries are spaces for knowledge, community and inclusion, they are not tools for political messaging yet this plaque inserts division, exclusion and control into a space meant to foster learning and unity,” Moser said. “The use of a ‘MAGA’ acrostic injects partisan ideology into a public institution that belongs to everyone, not just a political movement.”
After public comment, the board approved the plaque by a 6-0 vote.
Jeanne Paris, a member of the Community and Library Services Commission said, “Make America great is not a racist comment.”
The overflowing crowd of opponents booed that sentiment, KTLA reported.
In a statement to KTLA, Huntington Beach Deputy City Manager Jennifer Carey said, “The proposed library plaque was approved by the Community & Library Services Commission at their meeting last night. The item will be on the February 18, 2025 City Council agenda for their approval.”
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Publish date : 2025-02-13 08:56:00
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