Oregon Coalition Against Hate Crime

Fighting hate by networking resources

Open letter to TriMet in response to 9/2 stabbings — September 25, 2023

Open letter to TriMet in response to 9/2 stabbings

/Randy Blazak/Leave a comment

Emailed to TriMet equity director, September 20, 2023

To the Equity Director of TriMet,

My name is Dr. Randall Blazak. I represent the many community partners who are a part of Oregon’s Coalition Against Hate Crimes (CAHC). The CAHC was formed in Portland in 1997 to open channels of communication between community groups and government agencies, including law enforcement agencies, to better respond to hate and hate crimes in our various communities across the state. For 26 years, the CAHC has worked to build networks that allow us to both prevent hate crimes and best respond when bias crimes occur in our state.

We are writing concerning the attack at the Green Line Flavel Street Max Station on September 2, in which two African-American teenagers were stabbed, in what appears to be a bias-motivated assault. Fortunately, the teens survived the attack but the incident brings to mind the 2017 stabbing incident on the Max Green line by a racist that left two men dead and a third seriously injured.

We understand that the assailant is in custody and was charged with a felony bias crime. There is, however, a larger issue TriMet might use this opportunity to address. Hate crimes, by their nature, are intended to cause fear in wider communities. The September 2nd attack has served to add to the perception that certain communities are unsafe in the TriMet system and are more likely to be targeted because of their perceived race, religion, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or other marker of their group identity. Through our coalition, we have heard anecdotal stories of local residents who will no longer utilize Portland’s mass transit system for fear of unchecked harassment or becoming the victim of targeted violence.

In the wake of the 2017 Max attack, TriMet demonstrated great initiative in messaging the importance of inclusion and safety for all people in our local transit system. I was part of the steering committee that selected and orchestrated the Hollywood Max Station mural, which not only honored the victims of that horrible incident, but also celebrated the resiliency of the diverse communities that make Portland a city dedicated to growing from our dark history. In the wake of the 2017 incident, TriMet organized a series of events to reassure people in the region, especially in marginalized populations, that they are valued as riders and members of our larger community.

The horrible attack that occurred on September 2nd is a sad reminder that messaging that TriMet engaged in six years ago is still needed. The CAHC is requesting that your equity team use this moment to engage in the following actions:

  1. Promote a public safety program that informs TriMet riders and employees of protocols designed to ensure their safety when encountering bias-motivated threats or harassment. This could include increased security procedures or clear signage regarding how to alert drivers or other personnel when bias-motivated behavior is occurring.
  2. Clear messaging on TriMet platforms (physical and virtual), that TriMet values the lives of all people who live in the Portland metropolitan area and their utilization of our mass transit system makes the region more livable, viable, and enjoyable. This could include educational efforts to highlight the great contributions of members of underserved communities.
  3. Resources devoted to underserved communities that both meet local needs and promote the environmental and cultural value of utilizing mass transit. This could include expanding TriMet’s Reduced Fare Partner Organizations program or playing a more active role in the areas efforts to house low income residents.

For too many residents, this recent racist attack is a reflection of historic values that devalue the lives of those that are not in the majority. We would like to encourage the leadership at TriMet to use this moment to send a counter message, that the lives of everyone in our community are valued and will be protected. We are happy to offer our vast network of resources in support.

Randall Blazak

Chair, Coalition Against Hate Crimes

In support of AAPI communities in Oregon — March 24, 2021

In support of AAPI communities in Oregon

/Randy Blazak/Leave a comment

March 24, 2021

Over the last year the nation has seen a dramatic spike in hate crimes and hate-motivated incidents targeting members of our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)  communities. This sad trend is reflected in the data coming in through Oregon’s new state bias crime hotline. The state hotline has, to date, received 119 reports of anti-AAPI bias crimes and incidents. In 2021, the percentage of calls reporting such incidents jumped from 6% to 13.5% of all calls. It is abundantly clear that the number one factor driving this spike has been fears related to the pandemic and the impact of some national leaders referring the coronavirus as the “China virus.”

Research on bias crimes has demonstrated a much wider impact of individual acts of violence and harassment. An Asian man beaten by an attacker with brass knuckles in Queens, New York or a racist driving a car through a “Stop Asian Hate” rally in Los Angelos, California (both of which occurred this week) will have an impact on members of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in Oregon. We know that targeted communities experience elevated psychological and emotional harm as anxiety levels increase and behavior changes. The connective tissue of our very society is injured. This is why hate crimes are acts of terrorism. Many members of our AAPI communities feel they have a target on their backs just by virtue of their ethnic identities. 

Anti-Asian bias is not new to Oregon. Our state’s original constitution restricted the rights of Chinese immigrants, stating, “”No Chinaman, not a resident of the state at the adoption of this constitution, shall ever hold any real estate or mining claim, or work any mining claim therein.” In 1887, 34 Chinese gold miners in Wallowa County were attacked by white residents and killed, their bodies hacked to pieces in a brutal mass murder in which no white participant was convicted. In 1942, thousands of Japanese immigrants and Japanese-American citizens were rounded up in Oregon, including from Portland’s Nihonmachi (Japantown), deprived of homes and businesses, and sent to reside in makeshift concentration camps for the duration of the second world war.

Oregon has a long history of being unwelcoming to people of color and that’s why the civil rights work we do in our state is so important. Not only is the task to undue the harm of the past, but we must work to ensure all our residents, including newcomers, feel welcome and wanted in our state. The Coalition Against Hate Crimes was founded in 1997 to improve the reporting and response to hate crimes, but also to open channels of communication between marginalized communities and government agencies, making inclusion an active practice.

At this moment we have two important messages for the members our AAPI communities. The first is a request to report both bias crimes and bias incidents. Oregon’s new bias crime law is set up to respond to acts of bias even if they don’t rise to the level a prosecutable crime. Calls and reports through Oregon’s reporting system will get a response from our state coordinator’s office. You can call the hotline 1-844-924-BIAS (1-844-924-2427) or report via the website at: StandAgainstHate.Oregon.gov. We also encourage you to call your local police department (911). If you don’t feel comfortable contacting the police or state reporting system, Stop AAPI Hate is also collecting reports at: https://stopaapihate.org Please report these incidents so we can track the data and get help to the people who need to know we have their back.

Secondly, there are a number of wonderful community-based organizations on the ground in Oregon, working to meet the needs of our AAPI communities. These groups can be great sources of emotional support, providers of legal advice, and alternative routes to report bias crimes and incidents. The following list may be useful for people looking to connect with community resources.

Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO)

Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO)

Portland Japanese America Citizens League (JACL)

Eugene & Springfield Asian Council

Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center

The Chinese American Benevolent Association (CABA)

And the Oregon Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs

In Oregon, we show up for each other, whether or not we are members of the communities that are being affected by bias.

Testimony in Support of SB398 – Ban the Noose — March 5, 2021

Testimony in Support of SB398 – Ban the Noose

/Randy Blazak/Leave a comment

March 2, 2021

Testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Oregon State Capitol

My name is Dr. Randy Blazak and I’m the chair of Oregon’s Coalition Against Hate Crimes. The Coalition was formed in 1997 after the Oklahoma City Bombing as a way to increase cooperation and communication between community groups and local, state, and federal government agencies to interrupt extremist threats and serve the victims of bias in Oregon. For over 23 years, the Coalition has acted as a state-wide civil rights network that has included a range of members, from neighborhood advocacy groups to the United States Department of Justice. That’s why I am honored to be here today to lend my support to SB398.

Understanding the nature on hate crimes requires the understanding of context. The use of the “N word” is a rap song is an artistic expression, protected by the First Amendment. The use of the “N word” in an attack by white skinheads on a black victim can be used as evidence of a bias motivation and therefore elevated criminal charges. A swastika drawn on a chalkboard by a history professor discussing the Third Reich can have educational merit. A swastika drawn on a chalkboard by a student wanting to harass a Jewish classmate can have a deeply traumatic impact on the target of that action. And the noose may just be an image in an old western film, or it can be used to invoke generations of racial terrorism.

When people ask, “Isn’t every crime a hate crime?” it is incumbent upon us to explain the greater harm of bias motivated crimes. Research has demonstrated that the impact of a single hate crime is much deeper and wider than a traditional crime victimization. First, hate crimes, both violent and non-violent, have longer psychological impacts on the victim as they are targeted for some immutable characteristic about themselves that they can’t change or shouldn’t have to change. We have documented deeper trauma, including longer periods of depression, higher suicide and self-harm rates, and behavior changes that include social withdrawal. Victims often report saying things like, “How can this still be happening in America?” and “What’s to stop this from happening to me again?”

But it’s not just the direct victim that experiences this harm. The members of their community also experience a spike in anxiety as they wonder who among them will be next and ask if they are safe or even wanted in a community where the attack happened. An attack on a gay person will create a wave of trauma through the entire LGBTQ community and research shows that people’s behavior changes in that community in response to the elevated threat level. Soon, other marginalized communities are impacted. A vandalism of a Korean church, spreads waves of fear through other immigrant communities. We have research that shows communities become divided as residents try to feel out who is on the side of the victim and who is on the side of the attacker. Finally, the place itself becomes stigmatized by the hate that occurred there. What images come to mind when you say Laramie, Wyoming, Jasper, Texas, Charlottesville, Virginia, or even Portland, Oregon?

On November 12, 1988, three racist skinheads brutally beat an Ethiopian college student to death as he was coming home from work. The murder of Mulugeta Seraw put Portland, Oregon on the global map as a center of hate. After the May 26, 2017 hate-motivated double murder on a Portland Max train, I interviewed numerous members of the Portland Ethiopian community for a study on hate and trauma. Each one told me in strikingly similar terms that the 2017 Max attack brought up the emotional trauma of the 1988 murder, causing them to ask, again, will they ever be safe being a black person in Oregon. The PTSD we associate with war veterans is also found in minority communities that have experienced hate crimes.

If there is one act of hate that has persisted through time it is the use of the noose, connected, not only to vigilante racial murders, often of people who committed no crime, but murder as spectacle. Lynchings occurred in front of cheering white crowds as bodies were burned, mutilated, and castrated. Postcards depicting actual lynchings were often made not only to celebrate white supremacy but to keep black people in a constant state of fear of the randomness of white terror. It is worth noting that that first federal definition of terrorism came in the Anti-Klan Act of 1871. Lynchings were acts of terrorism, designed to spread fear and trauma through the black population, including here in Oregon. The 1902 lynching of Alonzo Tucker still serves as a message that African Americans are not welcome in Southern Oregon.

Context matters. A noose might just be a drawing in a game of Hangman. But in the context of the dramatic increase in hate crimes in Oregon and the nation, a noose can be much more than a piece of rope. Its display can be a terroristic act meant to cause emotional harm to specific targets and entire communities as they ask, again, am I safe or even wanted in this community. The cumulative trauma that the noose has bought as a tool of hundreds of years of racial terror won’t be stopped by the passage of this bill, but it will send a strong message that Oregon stands with the victims of hate and not the perpetrators of it. And that’s how healing starts.

Thank you.

Statement on the Threat of Post Election Violence — October 20, 2020

Statement on the Threat of Post Election Violence

/Randy Blazak/2 Comments

October 20, 2020

Our country is passing through a time of great division. The voices of extremism have been growing and the threat of violence centered around the presidential election has raised anxiety levels in many communities. The includes communities who have long been the targets of hate and scapegoating, as well as federal workers, and even law enforcement. The Coalition Against Hate Crimes (CAHC) would like to use its collective voice to urge our partners in law enforcement to enact a cohesive strategy to protect Oregonians from those who have pledged violence around and after the election. This threat ranges from voter intimidation to acts of massive domestic terrorism.

We call on our coalition law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of the citizens and residents of our state by doing the following;

  • Have a clear plan about how law enforcement will respond to election related violence, including by those civilian groups that claim to be “pro-police.” This plan should be a collaboration between local, county, state, and federal law enforcement, and should be presented to the public. The priority of confronting domestic terrorism must be high through the new year.
  • Law enforcement should reach out to vulnerable communities who have been the target of hate in the past, including BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities and those subject to religious bigotry, to develop security strategies and encourage the reporting of bias related behavior. The Department of Homeland Security should provide resources to protect to communities who have been threatened by right-wing extremists.
  • All levels of law enforcement must make clear that any member who participates in right-wing extremist activities will be removed from armed service.
  • Law enforcement must engage in a public effort to both address the threat level and create a mechanism by which the public knows how to properly respond. This can include utilizing the state’s new bias crime hotline to report potential threats and plots, leading to immediate investigation. 

The last few years, the right-wing extremist movement has returned to the forefront of our body politic. Jeremy Christian, the anti-government activist posted an ode to Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, on his Facebook page before his 2017 murderous attack on a Portland Max train. Armed Proud Boys have been roaming Portland and Salem, looking for confrontation. Militia groups, like the Oath Keepers, have promoted themselves as soldiers in a coming civil war. The race war McVeigh hoped to spark has been rebranded as the “boogaloo,” with armed adherents, both on line and in the street, promising violent conflict if their man in the White House is not re-elected. The recent arrests of the militia members in Michigan who were plotting to kidnap (and execute) Governor Whitmer and overthrow the state government demonstrate how real these “patriot” visions for massive social disruption are.

Communities in Oregon have been traumatized by the presence of white-nationalist, fascists, and anti-government extremists, many regularly sporting weapons of war. This should not be normal in our state or in America. People are in fear of what a Trump victory or defeat could mean for public safety. This fear is magnified by the perception that many in law enforcement condone, or even participate in this form of oppression and domestic terrorism.

If a community member sees a threat being made to a mosque, synagogue, LGBTQ+ center, Black frequented venue, members of immigrant communities, or a federal building on social media, they should 1) believe that law enforcement is going to take it seriously, and 2) have a clear avenue to report it to authorities. Our partners in the justice field can help build community resilience in the face of growing fears of grievous violence.

Law enforcement partners must speak in a unified, clear voice that the threat posed by right-wing violence is at odds with our democratic values. It must be dealt with and not allowed to grow. There are those that are calling for a second civil war to begin in the next few months. We must stand together against the calls for violence and division and law enforcement must play a role in preventing this catastrophe.

CAHC/Law Enforcement Background

The CAHC was formed in 1997 in the wake of the Oklahoma City Bombing. The actors in that 1995 terrorist act killed 168 innocent people, including 19 children, and injured another 759 civilians, all who were inside the Murrah Federal Building. The goal of the bombing was to ignite a race war in America. They had spent time in the militia movement in Michigan, training with right-wing extremists who hated federal and state government agencies. Following the bombing, Attorney General Janet Reno requested that federal, state, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies form partnerships with community-baed groups to prevent further domestic terrorism from the radical right.

The CAHC was created as a partnership between advocacy and civil rights groups and law enforcement and government agencies to do this work. For 23 years, we have collaborated on better reporting of incidents, supporting the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes, community-level education, and providing resources to the victims of hate. Since our founding, we have had active participation from all levels of law of enforcement, from the Portland Police Bureau to the FBI. The partnerships have, at times, been tense, but have allowed for open channels of communications around key issues of public safety in our state.

2019 – The Year in Hate and Resistance in Oregon — February 4, 2020

2019 – The Year in Hate and Resistance in Oregon

/Randy Blazak/Leave a comment

February 4, 2020

KKKSoOR

2019 saw an alarming number of hate crimes across the state, but also some incredible efforts to fight hate in Oregon. The year began with KKK graffiti appearing in Cave Junction and ended with a racially motivated stabbing in Ontario. There is some evidence that, despite violent attacks that include several assaults on LGBT people, there might be a leveling off of the spike that followed the 2016 election. In November, the FBI released its annual hate crime report, finding 139 hate crimes reported in Oregon in 2018 (of which 88 were violent), as compared to 169 (86 violent) in 2017, a 17% reduction in reported hate crimes. However, the national trends are a little less comforting, including a fairly dramatic increase in anti-Semitic incidents over the last year.

Holo

While these horrible things were happening across the state, some important progress was being made. In July, Governor Brown signed a bill that added Holocaust education to the state’s school curriculum. The state also enacted a new bias crime law, SB 577, that expanded protections, mandated the better collecting of data, and, perhaps most importantly, created a network of resources for survivors of bias crimes. The CAHC was present at the Governor’s signing of the bill on July 15 and has participated in the steering committee charged with implementing the law. The law was the result of intense work by a partnership of community groups and the Oregon Attorney General’s office that included a series of listening sessions across the state in January.

Russek

The year also saw several hate crime cases moving through the court system, including an increasing number that have been charged under SB 577. The trial of Jeremy Christian, who has been held in a Multnomah County jail since the 2017 stabbing attack on a Portland Max train, was delayed until January, 2020.  In March, a jury found Russell Courtier guilty of the racially motivated 2016 murder of Larnell Bruce, Jr. in Gresham. The family of Bruce was present for the signing of Oregon’s new bias crime law in July.

OurCity

The year also the witnessed menacing presence of the Proud Boys, accused of violent attacks, a large alt-right rally in Portland on August 17, and Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson indicted for inciting a riot. In response to the August 17 rally, Portland hosted an Our City, Our Home Anti-Hate Rally in Pioneer Square on August 14. On February 7, the city council had passed a resolution condemning white supremacy and the alt right.

The new year (and new decade) will see the implementation of the state’s new bias crime law and the creation of a hotline for Oregonian’s to report both bias crime and non-criminal bias incidents (1-844-924-BIAS).

The chronology below is divided into two categories. The first are hate crimes and incidents that were reported in 2019 via the CAHC Facebook page. The second category are examples of how the state has responded to the issue of hate, from both an institutional and community level. It is certainly not a complete tally of all incidents, but highlights both the normality of hate as well as the incredible resistance that occurs in our state.

2019 – The Year in Hate in Oregon

January

Jan. 11 – Holocaust deniers crash Attorney General’s session, Medford.

Jan. 12 – KKK grafitti, Cave Junction.

Jan. 18 – White supremacist Andrew Oswalt re-enrolls in OSU, Corvallis.

Jan. 18 – KKK flyers posted, Astoria.

Jan. 22 – Portland mayor threatened by member of Proud Boys.

Jan. 23 – Parkrose High athletes called racial slurs at St. Helens High game.

February

Feb. 10 – Transgender woman attacked, Portland.

Feb. 17 – Flyers for racist YouTuber posted in Hollywood neighborhood, Portland.

Feb. 19 – Report of anti-gay harassment on Trimet bus (#72), Portland.

Feb. 22 – Jeremy Christian to use a mental health defense in Max stabbing case.

Feb. 23 – Report of racist/anti-gay harassment, SE 86th & Division, Portland.

Feb. 23 – “Radical Agenda” pro-Holocaust flyers found in Abernathy neighborhood, Oregon City.

Feb. 26 – Report of anti-gay harassment, SE 65th & Foster, Portland.

March

Screen Shot 2020-02-04 at 10.19.40 AM

Mar. 3 – Reports of white supremacists and anti-gay harassment, Portland.

Mar. 4 – White man arrested for racial harassment, Portland.

Mar. 6 – Teacher tells student to “Go back to Mexico,” Salem.

Mar. 12 – Proud Boy arrested, Patriot Prayer member indicted, Portland.

Mar. 20 – Swastika carved in Russian restaurant, SE Portland.

Mar. 21 – White Supremacist Andrew Oswalt charged with hate crime, Corvallis.

April

Apr. 22 – Oregon anti-government activist arrested in New Mexico for detaining migrants.

Apr. 22 – Noose found at Cleveland High School, Portland.

Apr. 23 – Racist harassment, Springfield.

Apr. 25 – Racial slur, lockdown at Wilson High School, Portland.

Apr. 26 – Blackface cake at Cleveland High School, Portland.

May

May 1 – Patriot Prayer street fight and riot at Cider Riot bar, Portland.

May 5 – America First rally, Springfield.

May 11 – Gresham man arrested for making racial threats.

May 28 – Homeless woman arrested for racial harassment, Portland.

June

June 4 – Bar accused of discriminating against trans patrons, Portland.

June 12 – Racist and swastika graffiti reported, Eugene.

June 29 – Racist assault in NE Alberta neighborhood, Portland.

July

July 16 – Milwaukee HS student seen stealing equality sign, ripping pride flag.

July 16 – Report that Oregon had 6th highest hate crime increase, 2013-17, in nation.

July 18 – Pride signs stolen from homes, Milwaukie.

July 27 – Home graffitied with homophobic slurs, Salem.

August

Aug. 2 – Swastika’s spray painted on local businesses, Eugene,

Aug. 7  – Armed man arrested outside El Paso immigrant center with plans to come to Portland.

Aug. 10 – Man arrested for bias crime outside CC Slaughter’s , Portland.

Aug. 13 – Lesbian couple has molotov cocktail thrown at house, SE Portland.

Aug. 17 – Proud Boy/alt right march, Portland.

Aug. 20 – Racist assault, Salem.

Aug. 24 – Anti-trans attack, Newport.

September

Sept. 17 – Anti-trans attack reported, Portland.

Sept. 27 – Racist harassment of neighbor, Gresham.

October

Oct. 1 – Anti-trans attack in the Pearl District, Portland.

Oct. 24 – Noose found at Chapman Elementary, Portland.

Oct. 29 – White teens wear blackface at high school event, Lebanon.

Oct. 29 – University of Oregon accused of not reporting anti-Semitic hate crimes, Eugene.

November

Nov. 11 – Noose found hanging at OHSU, Portland.

December

Stab

Dec. 18 – Lawsuit claims black teen was racially harassed before suicide, Bend.

Dec. 23 – Racial stabbing at truck stop, Ontario.

 

 

2019 – The Year in Responding to Hate in Oregon

January

Listen2_o

Jan. 7 – Attorney General’s session on hate crime, Portland.

Jan. 9 – Attorney General’s session on hate crime, Eugene.

Jan. 11 – Attorney General’s session on hate crime, Medford.

Jan. 15 – Andrew Ramsey charged in anti-Sikh assault, Salem.

Jan. 19 – Senate Bill 577 is introduced, Salem.

Jan. 28 – Portland prepares anti-hate resolution.

Jan. 31 – 6 Gypsy Joker gang-members arrested, Portland.

February

CityCoun

Feb. 7 – Portland City Council passes resolution on white supremacy.

Feb. 12 – Eugene man who threatened shooting spree at Catholic church pleads guilty to federal hate crime.

Feb. 24 – Q Center Town Hall, Portland.

March

Mar. 1 – Lakeridge HS student pushes bill to require Holocaust and genocide education at Oregon public schools.

Mar. 2 – Our Streets! Community Safety Day, PICA, Portland.

Mar. 12 – Oregon Senate approves Holocaust education curriculum, Salem.

Mar. 12 – SB 577 moves out of committee, Salem.

Mar. 15 – Community support rally for Christchurch shooting victims, MET, Tigard.

Mar. 19 – Russell Courtier found guilty on all counts for Bruce murder, Portland.

Mar. 25 – Andrew Oswalt arraigned on new bias-motivated offense, Corvallis.

April

Apr. 1 – Understanding Oppression workshop, YWCA, Portland.

Apr. 2 – Man convicted of hate crime for threatening to kill gay man, Portland.

Apr. 4 – Oregon SB 577 moved out of judiciary committee, Salem.

Apr. 9 – Jeremy Christian trial to stay in Multnomah County.

Apr 16 – Judge gives Russell Courtier life sentence for Bruce murder, Portland.

Apr. 23 – Racist harasser in McMinville gets 30 days in jail.

May

May 3 – Jeremey Christian trial moved to January 2020, Portland.

May 4 – Civil suit filed against Patriot Prayer by owner of Cider Riot, Portland.

May 4-  PUAH hosts training on Trauma-Informed Hate Response, Portland.

May 6 – AG Rosenblum community meeting on hate crime, Portland.

May 11 – PUAH Disrupting Hate: A Mental Health Providers Guide, Lewis & Clark.

May 15 – Report of 42% decrease in hate crimes in Eugene.

May 24 – Salem man sentenced to jail after grabbing a Sikh man’s turban.

May 25 – Portland City Hall meeting on white supremacy training.

May 28 – Wilson High students walk out over racism, Portland.

May 28 – Oregon lawmakers add Holocaust education to school curriculum.

May 28 – “Islamophobia and White Nationalism in Oregon and the World” at Oregon Historical Society, Portland.

May 30 – Transforming Hate: Mulugeta Seraw’s Legacy, Portland.

May 31 – Divided States: The Max Attack screening, Portland.

May 31 – Man gets probation for anti-Sikh attack, Salem.

June

June 10 – SPLC benefit, Salem Cinema, Salem.

June 14 – Oregon Senate passes SB 577, Salem.

June 20 – SB 577 unanimously passes House, Salem.

July

July 9 – White Supremacy in Oregon classes begin at First Unitarian, Portland.

July 15 – Gov. Brown signs SB 577 into law, Salem.

July 15 – Gov. Brown signs Holocaust education bill, Salem.

July 18 – Michael Amatullo convicted of Intim 2 for racial harassment, Portland.

July 23 – Eugene adopts resolution condemning white supremacy.

August

Aug. 5 – Woman convicted of hate crime for kicking black mother’s stroller, Portland.

Aug. 6 – Interfaith Vigil against Gun Violence and White Supremacy, Augusta Lutheran, Portland.

Aug. 14 – Arrest in the anti-gay Molotov cocktail case, Portland.

Aug. 14 – Oregonian surveys Oregon congressional leaders on hate crime.

Aug. 14 – Our City, Our Home Anti-Hate Rally, Portland.

Aug. 15 – Joey Gibson charged with felony rioting, Portland.

Aug. 15 – CAHC issues statement ahead of alt-right march, Portland.

Aug. 29 – Anti-Trans hate crime indictment, Lincoln City.

Aug. 30 – Vet has guns removed after threatening antifa demonstrators, Portland.

Aug. 30 – Larnell Bruce Jr. Foundation launched, Portland.

‘Aug. 31 – FBI takes guns of right-wing activist who threatened to kill antifa, Portland.

September

Sing2

Sept. 8 – Man sentenced for racist assault on black youth, Portland.

Sept. 11 – Trump & White Supremacy discussion, Chit Chat Cafe, Portland.

Sept. 16 – SB 577 public signing ceremony, Salem.

Sept. 16 – Security guard sentenced for racist attack, Portland.

October

Oct. 1 – Portland Public Schools announces Racial Equity Plan.

Oct. 1 – First Steering Committee meeting for the implementation of SB 577, Portland.

Oct. 21 – Anti-gay attacker first person convicted under SB 577, Portland.

Oct. 24 – Building Bridges: Confronting Hate symposium, Tigard.

Oct. 31 – Prosecutors not seeking the death penalty in the Jeremy Christian case.

November

Nov. 11 – Concert to remember Mulugeta Seraw, Portland

Nov. 12 – FBI releases 2018 hate crime data.

December

Dec. 17 – Man arrested for murder of Vancouver trans teen.

Dec. 24 – Woman indicted for racist assault, Portland.

CaolMET

The September 5, 2019 CAHC meeting, hosted by the Muslim Educational Trust in Tigard, (Pictured: Matthew Kahl (ADL), Patt Bekken (PFLAG Portland), Adrian Brown (US Attorney’s Office), Wajdi Said (MET), Randy Blazak (CAHC chair), Allan Lazo (Fair Housing Council of Oregon), photo by Rich Iwasaki (Portland JACL), not pictured: Dawn Holt (PFLAG Portland))

 

PSA for Oregon’s New Bias Crime Law — February 1, 2020
Statement of Response to the August 17 Demonstrations — August 16, 2019

Statement of Response to the August 17 Demonstrations

/Randy Blazak/Leave a comment

Oregon has a long history of white supremacist and bigoted activism that is woven into our state’s story. It includes early territorial exclusion laws that required blacks in the region to be publicly whipped, as well as the forced internment of Japanese citizens and racist skinheads murdering immigrants in Portland. Each wave has sent messages to various groups that you are not welcome in Oregon.

In recent years we have tried to change the message to one that clearly states that Oregon is a welcoming place to all people. Unfortunately, white supremacy and bigoted activism continue to insert themselves. We’ve seen a dramatic increase in hate crimes and a new wave of bigots under the broad banner of the “alt right.” Some of these bigots are planning to march in Portland this Saturday. This includes a group called the Proud Boys that has been linked to violence in our city on several occasions. The potential for violence from protestors and counter-protestors has attracted the attention of the national media.

The Coalition Against Hate Crimes wants to have an official statement suggesting an appropriate response to this march. The CAHC was one of the numerous organizations that was present and supportive of Mayor Wheeler’s Unity Rally on Wednesday morning. The question remains, what to do on Saturday? On the one hand, when people with fascistic ideas about the world want to march in the city, it is of great value to directly oppose them and say, “not in our town, not in our streets, never again!” On the other hand, the alt right has been deft at controlling the media narrative and using images of violent anti-fascists to paint themselves as victims of “anti-freedom” forces. The political right has framed the actions of antifa counter protestors as “domestic terrorists,” a meme that has had some influence on the perception of progressive causes.

So the question is to counter-protest or let the alt right march through empty streets with no audience for their street theater. After much discussion, the Coalition would like to take a different approach.

The very presence of these marches acts as a form of emotional terrorism for people who have endured generation after generation of trauma from the forces of intolerance. Instead of directly confronting them and “feeding the wolf,” or going about our daily lives like we don’t have a real problem with white supremacy in the Northwest, we are supporting a third option.

We hope people use this occasion to recognize that there are many populations that are feeling fragile in this current political and cultural environment. That includes immigrants, people of color, LGBTQIA+ folks, people with disabilities, and religious minorities. Saturday can be a day that we offer support to our targeted neighbors in creative ways. Bake a cake, take a bit of time to chat, ask to pay for someone’s coffee as a sign of support, attend a community market and spend some money. Maybe instead of increasing the anxiety levels of marginalized communities, the presence of groups like the Proud Boys in Portland can serve to increase the civility between communities. Let this be an opportunity to reach out and build connections.

And those who feel they just want to hide this weekend, or be far from the battles in the street, you have complete permission to practice self-care. If you’ve had enough of news about mass shooters targeting communities like yours or just sick of people telling you to “go back where you came from,” your act of anti-fascism on Saturday might be taking a long bath or taking your children out to one of Portland’s great ice cream parlors.

And those who have the energy to directly confront the peddlers of hate, you are the heroic actors who are helping to change Oregon’s history of intolerance. We just ask that you take that brave stance in a non-violent manner and not give the alt right another meme to attract people to their cause or scare people away from ours. We can both confront hate and play the long game against intolerance.

“Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

2018 – The Year in Hate (and Resistance to Hate) — January 1, 2019

2018 – The Year in Hate (and Resistance to Hate)

/Randy Blazak/Leave a comment

January 1, 2019

The state of Oregon saw an elevated level of hate activity and criminality in 2018. This follows an upward trend following the 2016 elections. Last November, the FBI released its annual hate crime report and found a 15.2% increase in the national number of hate crimes reported to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report (8,437 offenses in 2017 and 7,321 offenses in 2016) which was dwarfed by the 40.4% increase in Oregon’s data (146 incidents in 2017 and 104 in 2016). Half of these 2017 offenses occurred in Eugene, reflecting their innovative work to improve hate crime reporting. A 2005 Bureau of Justice Statistics found that only 1 in 15 hate crimes are reported to authorities. In addition, not all police agencies submit data to the FBI. In Oregon, only 29 of 214 participating agencies submitted reports. The FBI data for reported hate crimes for 2018 won’t be available until November, 2019.

00003614413392-0726

It is important to point out that the wide variety of hate activity causes trauma to the victims and communities that are targeted. This includes federal civil rights offenses, crimes that violate Oregon’s intimidation statutes, as well hate incidents, like the posting of racist flyers, that do not rise to the level of criminal offense but are still harmful to the community. Oregon experienced all of the above. Much of the disruption was related to the regular marches by Joey Gibson’s Patriot Prayer that attracted supporters from hate groups, like the Proud Boys and Identity Evropa. In addition, elementary, middle, and high schools across the state saw a rash of swastikas and other anti-Semitic graffiti.

Unknown

However, the state also saw an increase in the amount of anti-hate activity. This included the CAHC/DOJ hate crime forum in Eugene on March 10, the events surrounding the one-year-anniversary of the Portland Hollywood Max attack in May, and the conference to commemorate the 30-year anniversary of the murder of Mulugeta Seraw on November 12. On May 23, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced the formation of a state task force on hate crimes. In addition, the new bias incident/crime reporting system was launched by Portland United Against Hate this past fall. Community trainings and presentations occurred across the state. The airing of Divided States: Portland, Oregon on A&E on March 3 reminded us of how deep the divisions are in Oregon. The good work of individuals and organizations, like the YWCA, Rural Organizing Project, the Urban League of Portland, PUAH, and Unite Oregon, did the heavy lifting to build resilience to hate.

2019 promises more divisiveness. Oregon will see the murder trial of Jeremy Christian but also recommendations of the attorney general’s task force. We are planning a third CAHC/DOJ hate crime forum in Medford this spring. We encourage residents to be vigilant, report all hate activity through the the best channel (which might not be the police) and stay safe.

What follows is a list of hate activity that was reported directly (through our Facebook page) or indirectly to the CAHC in 2018. It is not a comprehensive list by any means. After that is a list of some of the anti-hate activity that occurred in the state last year.

Oregon Hate Activity in 2018

January

Unknown

11 – Identity Evropa recruitment poster found on Portland State campus, Portland.

20 – Convicted hate criminal Jacob Laskey arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, menacing and criminal trespassing, Creswell.

21 – Neo-Nazi Kynan Dutton waves Nazi flag in front of Oregon capital, Salem.

24 – White nationalist student rep at OSU faces recall, Corvallis.

26 – Racist note given to African-American boy at Lake Oswego Junior High, Lake Oswego.

30 – Reward offered to catch people posting anti-Semitic materials at PCC Cascade Campus, Portland.

31 – OSU grad student Andrew Oswalt charged with Intim 1 after posting racist stickers on campus, Corvallis.

February

1 – A balloon with a swastika drawn on it found in a yard in North Portland.

2 – White supremacist invades home in White City.

4 – “KKK,” racist, and anti-Semitic phrases chalked on sidewalk in Portland park.

March

6 – Whit man intentionally rams his car into an Afghani immigrant, Lincoln City,

29 – Identity Evropa flies found in Portland and Gladstone.

30 – Noose found hanging from a tree in Sellwood.

April

Screen Shot 2019-01-01 at 3.07.16 PM

12 – Neo-Nazi fliers found in SE Portland.

25 – Skinhead punches gay person in Eugene.

25 – Neo-Nazi graffiti in East Moreland Park, Eugene.

27 – Hammerskins post ‘Hunting Guides’ Targeting Northwest Communities” online.

29 – Neo-Nazi flier was posted on the wall of Congregation Neveh Shalom, Portland.

May

8 – KKK flyers posted, East Medford.

June

3 – Patriot Prayer rally with Proud Boys, Identity Europa, Portland.

9 – Assault by Proud Boys on NE Broadway, Portland.

17 – Anti-gay assault on NW 21st Avenue, Portland.

22 – Linn County DMV Worker posts “Shoot Them All at the Border” on Facebook.

23 – Stormer Book Club flyers, Oregon City.

30 – Proud Boys involved in Patriot Prayer riot, Portland.

July

Screen Shot 2019-01-01 at 3.23.10 PM

11 – Racist threatener arrested, Beaverton.

16 – Anti-lesbian rant investigated, SE Portland.

17 – Oregonians for Immigration Reform gets Measure 105 on November ballot.

19 – Northwest Front flyers posted, Corvallis.

20 – Deputy placed on leave for wearing Proud Boys gear, Clark Co. WA.

22 – Man arrested on intimidation charges, Lents, Portland.

August

2 – Racist harassment at Beach Elementary School Park, Portland.

4 – Patriot Prayer/Proud Boys rally, Portland.

10 – Racist attack on Willamette River dock, Portland.

September

4 – Anti-immigrant (and Yes on 105) literature handed out at Oregon State Fair, Salem.

12 – Racial slur etched, paint smeared on woman’s car, NE Portland.

October

6 – PSU Pita Pit employee arrested for racist menacing, Portland.

13 -Patriot Prayer rally, Portland.

19 – Nazi flyers blaming Jews for Kavanaugh protests, Portland.

22 – “OK to be white” stickers found in Vancouver, WA.

26 – Hate criminal James Acrement dies at Oregon State Prison, Salem.

28 – Favorable Oregonian story about Joey Gibson, Portland.

November

20 – Anti-Semitic graffiti at Lewis Elementary School, Portland.

December

Screen Shot 2019-01-01 at 3.09.06 PM

8 – Oregon skinheads arrested in anti-black attack in Lynnwood, Washington.

12 – Anti-Semitic graffiti found at Cleveland High School, Portland.

18 – Neo-Nazi Jimmy Marr hospitalized after class with anti-racist activist, Corvallis.

20 – Portland man arrested after threatening two African-American boys with a butcher knife.

23 – Police called on black guest at Double Tree Hilton for calling his mother, Portland.

24 – White women harasses African-America couple with knife, arrested, McMinnville.

 

Responding to Hate in 2018

January

16 – Interrupting Hate in Public Spaces, First Unitarian Church (PDX NAACP).

27 – Holocaust Remembrance Day.

February

1 – TriMet Advisory Committee announces artist for Hollywood Max Station tribute mural, Sarah Farahat.

27 – Peace March held by students of Faubian Elementary School, Portland.

March

5 – Divided States: Portland airs on A&E, forum held at Portland Community College – Cascade.

10 – CAHC/DOJ Hate Crime Forum at UO School of Law, Eugene.

13 – The Beloved Community: Living the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Race Talks, Portland.

16 – Racial Equity Exploration: A Theatrical, Interactive Experience, Portland.

April

8 – Interrupting Hate in Public Spaces, YWCA, Portland.

9 – From Charlottesville to Eugene: White Nationalism’s Resurgence, Immigration, & The Lawyer’s Voice in the Debate, UO School of Law, Eugene.

10 – Hate Under Law: Free Speech, Bigotry and Oregon forum, West Linn.

May

1 – White Supremacy in Oregon: History and Current Issues, NOW Portland.

23 – AG Rosenblum announces task force on hate crime.

25 – Q Center vigil, Portland.

26 – One year anniversary of Portland Max Attack, dedication of the mural at the Hollywood Max Station.

June

16 – Trans Unity Pride Celebration, Portland.

16 – PUAH Managing Compassion Fatigue workshop, Lewis & Clark College.

20 – Jeremy Christian profile page removed from Facebook.

20 – Mourn, Pray, Love and Take Action! Rally, Unite Oregon, Portland.

21 – Cultural Empathy program, YWCA, Portland.

21-23 – Good in the Hood Festival, Portland.

August

7 – Community rally against hate in Normandale Park, Portland.

10 – CAHC at Anti-Hate Teach In – Washington, DC.

15 – Supporting Native Survivors, YWCA, Gresham.

19 – Walk with Refugees and Immigrants, Gateway Discovery Park, Portland.

25 – Portland Somali Festival, Lents Park, Portland

October

9 – Tragedy on the Max: One Year Later, Race Talks, Portland.

11 – Harvey Milk Street Celebration, Portland.

17 –  CAHC presentation on community engagement and extremism, NYC.

17 – Interrupting Hate in Schools, Resolutions NW, Portland.

18 – Building Bridges Summit , Muslim Educational Trust, Tigard.

24 – Eli Saslow (Rising out of Hatred) presentation at Alberta Rose Theater, Portland.

25 – Judge considers death penalty in Max attack case, Portland.

28 – Community gathering in response to Pittsburgh hate crime, Portland.

November

2 – Man arrested in for Aug. 10 racist bias crime, Portland.

6 – Oregon voters defeat Measure 105.

13 – Seraw Commemoration Conference, Portland State.

14 – Seraw street topping ceremony, SE 31st and Pine, Portland.

28 – Andrew Oswalt found guilty, Corvallis.

December

13 – Andrew Oswalt sentenced to 40 days in jail, 3 yers probation, Corvallis.

14 – CAHC attends ADL Consortium on Extremism, Washington DC.

16 – SE Uplift Book Study – A Hundred Little Hitlers, Portland.

 

Remembering one murder in this time of hate. — October 30, 2018

Remembering one murder in this time of hate.

/Randy Blazak/Leave a comment

October 30, 2018

4014DA54-B0BC-4AC0-B7A5-051340CA6C5B

Thirty years ago, the brutal murder of an Ethiopian immigrant by racist skinheads put Portland, Oregon on the map and put the problem of hate crimes into the national consciousness. Now, in the wake of racist murders in Kentucky and Pennsylvania and right-wing bomb threats across the country, we are called to remember the killing of Mulugeta Seraw and the work that must be done to confront the seemingly growing wave of hate in our communities.

The CAHC is honored to support the Urban League of Portland in the holding of a Conference to Commemorate Mulugeta Seraw on Tuesday, November 13, 9 am to 2 pm, at Portland State University. The conference will include participation from the local Ethiopian community (including Mulugeta’s uncle), attorneys involved in the civil suit against the White Aryan Resistance, Portland United Against Hate, and the Coalition Against Hate Crime. To register, please click the link below:

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

If you are interested in a scholarship to attend the conference free of charge, please click here: Scholarship Application Form

The city also has plans to add street top signs with Seraw’s name in the Southeast neighborhood where the murder occurred. The announcement for that ceremony is forthcoming and is being planned for the morning of November 14 at the intersection of SE 31st and SE Pine.

2017_1113sunshine

Seraw’s murder and the current racial violence that has gripped our nation remind of us of the hard work required to move us towards a more equitable society. Let’s honor Mulugeta by doing this work now.

We hope to see you on November 13.

 

Successful hate crime forum held in Eugene — March 15, 2018

Community Members panel at the Community Forum on Hate Crimes, Knight Law Center, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon. Panel members included (l ro r) Viriam S. Khalsa, Sikh community, Evelyn Salinas, Centro Latino Americano Rabbi Ruhi Sophia Motzkin-Rubenstein, Temple Beth Israel, and Max Skorodinsky, Trans*Ponder

Successful hate crime forum held in Eugene

/Randy Blazak/Leave a comment

March 15, 2018

On Saturday, March 10 in Eugene, the Coalition Against Hate Crimes co-sponsored its second hate crime forum, Our Communities’ Experiences, Challenges, and Resources, with the support of the Department of Justice Community Relations Service. The forum was held at the Knight Law Center on the campus of the University of Oregon. Before the forum began, the city of Eugene released its report on hate crimes and incidents in the city, showing a marked increase in bias activity over the previous year.

2017 Hate and Bias Report available here: https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/39256

The forum was opened by CAHC chair Randy Blazak, to a full audience of community members that included local law enforcement representatives, and then proceeded through three informative panels (law enforcement, community resources, and community voices), each incorporating audience dialogue.

The goal of the forum was to both educate residents of Lane County and the surrounding area about the resources available to respond to hate in our community and to create networks and agenda items to build community capacity to reduce the impact of bias incidents and crimes.

Special thanks go to Mo Young of Lane County, Katie Babits of the City of Eugene, and Knight Sor, of the Department of Justice Community Relations Service. Photos by Rich Iwasaki.

201803_CAHC_forum_006.jpg

Panel #1: Law enforcement (moderator – Knight Sor, U.S. Department of Justice)

Panelists ( l to r): Patty Perlow, Lane County District Attorney, Ryan Dwyer, FBI, Gavin Bruce, U.S. Attorney’s Office,  and Lt. David M. Natt, Eugene Police Department.

201803_CAHC_forum_007

Panel #2: Community Resources (moderator – Harpreet S. Mokha, U.S. Department of Justice)

Panelists ( l to r): David Tam, Asian Pacific Islander Community Action Team, Katie Babits, City of Eugene Office of Human Rights and Neighborhood Involvement, Margot Helphand, Jewish Federation of Lane County, Brittany Judson, Community Alliance of Lane County, Back to Back program coordinator, Knight Sor, DOJ-CRS.

201803_CAHC_forum_026

Panel #3: Community members (moderator – Randy Blazak, Oregon Coalition Against Hate Crimes)

Panelists ( l to r): Viriam S. Khalsa, Sikh community, Evelyn Salinas, Centro Latino Americano, Rabbi Ruhi Sophia Motzkin-Rubenstein, Temple Beth Israel, Max Skorodinsky, Trans*Ponder.