Videos of about six people wearing white robes with Ku Klux Klan insignia and pointed white hoods circulated on social media over the weekend. The footage appears to show an apparent Halloween gathering in El Paso. Videos and photos show the group at what appears to be a backyard gathering and walking along a dark residential street. The people are believed to be teenagers or young men, but they have not been identified, and their ages and intentions are unclear.
The social media account FitFam El Paso reported that the incident happened on the city's East Side. The exact location has not been independently confirmed. Some allegations say members of the group shouted racial slurs. Civil rights organizations, elected officials and community leaders have condemned the videos.
The El Paso branch of the NAACP held a news conference Monday, Oct. 26, outside the El Paso County courthouse. Community leaders there rejected the idea that wearing Klan symbols could be dismissed as a Halloween joke. NAACP El Paso President Carl B. Dwyer Jr. said many people believe the matter is not worth discussing and see it as a party costume. "It hurts," Dwyer said, according to theGrio.