A group of masked men affiliated with the far-right organization “Take Action Texas” staged what civil rights advocates are calling a hate-fueled protest in Irving on Thursday, displaying signs that denigrated Hindu deities, attacked Indian immigrants, and described the recently concluded Diwali festival as “garbage.”
The incident, which occurred at multiple locations across Irving—a Dallas suburb with a significant Indian-American population—has triggered widespread condemnation from the Hindu community, civil rights organizations, and local officials who describe it as a blatant display of religious bigotry and xenophobia.
According to news reports, the masked protesters carried placards with messages including “Don’t India My Texas,” “Deport H-1B Scammers,” and “Reject Foreign Demons”—the latter phrase appearing alongside crossed-out images of Hindu deities Lord Vishnu and Lord Ganesh. Additional signs read “Jesus Christ is Lord.”…