Hells Angels Can’t Attend Ventura Fair in Club Garb

After agreeing to allow Hells Angels to wear their biker attire, the Ventura County Fair board has reversed itself and now says the motorcycle club’s members must remove their black leather vests emblazoned with the group’s trademark winged skull if they want to attend this year’s event.

The board unanimously voted Thursday to reinstate a dress-code policy that bans gang attire. The policy identifies more than 20 groups as criminal street gangs, including the Hells Angels.

Earlier this year, the board rescinded the policy in the face of legal claims filed by the motorcycle club. But it reversed that vote this week after lobbying by law enforcement.

The decision angered Hells Angels national spokesman George Christie Jr., a Ventura resident, who insists his group is not a criminal street gang and poses no threat to families attending the annual event that begins July 30.

“I think Hells Angels have been under immense character assassination by law enforcement,” Christie said. “We are not a street gang.”

Christie called the policy discriminatory and said he was considering a civil rights lawsuit in federal court.

Fair board President Bill Gallaher said he was not convinced the policy would improve public safety. But he said that the board was swayed after a recent presentation by law enforcement officials and assurances from attorneys that the policy was legally sound.

The policy specifically prohibits anyone wearing clothing, visible tattoos or other articles bearing the name or insignia of a criminal street gang from entering the state-owned, 62-acre fairgrounds.