Easter Bonnets a la KKK

Even though Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho are known for more than their fair share of white supremacy nut jobs, I think it’s safe for me to say that I grew up relatively free from the influence of overt racist extremism. I’ve never had to worry that the Klan was going to show up and burn down our house because we’re Mormons/ a mixed race couple/ left-handed/ friends of Jewish people or whatever else fool thing they oppose. That being said, the following incident still gave me the hibbity jibbities.

During Holy Week, Ruyman and I were taking an evening stroll down Calle Castillo, one of the main thoroughfares in Santa Cruz. It’s a popular place for tourists, street performers, and people handing out leaflets, as well as home to a broad selection of clothes shops. We were nearing the bottom of the street when we were confronted by policemen trying to clear a path. This was, actually, not that unusual, since the cops here dress and act more like riot control than traffic enforcement. What struck me as odd was what they were trying to make way for.

Hiking up the street bearing crosses and candles were several hooded, robed figures. They looked like a scene straight out of Birth of a Nation and a line from Forrest Gump about bedsheets immediately sprang to mind. A priest with his face uncovered chanted Latin into a headset microphone and loads of regular people, also carrying candles, chanted Latin back in response. Flanking the priest was a pallet on two wooden poles being carried coffin-style by more robed and hooded shapes. On the top of it was a painted wooden statue of Christ, moaning in agony and lugging a cross over one shoulder. The pallet was followed by more normal folks, chanting and carrying candles. 

Ruyman had told me about the “Ku Ku Klan guys”, as he called then, but that still didn’t prepare me for the gut reaction I had. Even though intellectually, I knew this was a religious procession, all I wanted to do was run home and make sure nothing was on fire.