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You can contact the CAHC via. Dr. Randy Blazak at Portland State University (cfrb@pdx.edu)
The CAHC Steering Committee sets the agenda for CAHC monthly meetings and facilitates discussions and connections. The 2008-2010 Steering Committee Randy Blazak (PSU Hate Crime Research Network) - Chair (cfrb@pdx.edu) Emily Gottfired (Oregon Area Jewish Committee) - Secretary/Treasurer (emily.gottfried@oajconline.org) Marilyn Johnston (Salem Human Rights Office) - (mejohnston@cityofsalem.net) Norm Costa (Police Chief's Forum/Sexual Minority Roundtable) - (norbob2003@yahoo.com) 10 am Office of Human Relations 5315 N. Vancouver Ave. Portland, OR 97217 A hate crime occurs when one person intentionally subjects another to offensive physical contact, threatens or inflicts physical injury, or threatens or causes damage to the property of another person because of their race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. A hate crime may also target a person's family member. To report an emergency, please dial 911 immediately. This form is intended to inform the Oregon Department of Justice about potential hate crimes. This is not a substitute for filing a police report with a federal, state or local law enforcement agency. For more information, visit the website of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/civilrights/hate.htm. If you have think your civil rights have been violated, please fill out this form: Civil Rights Complaint Form and report it to the U.S. Attorney's Oregon Office. Just click: Oregon's CAHC Facebook page You must be a member of Facebook to join the group. November 28, 2010 - Corvalis, Ore. - The Corvallis Fire Department tells us that a fire was set shortly after midnight at the mosque where Portland's alleged Christmas-tree bomber attended in Corvallis. After completing a cause and origin investigation, fire prevention officer Carla Pusateri tells us "it appears the fire was intentionally set." Complete story at: KATU.com Ashland, Oregon Friday,October 5 3 pm to 5 pm Ashland Library - Large Meeting Room "Backyard Terrorism: Confronting Hate Crimes in our Community" with Randy Blazak, CAHC Washington County Thursday, October 21 7 pm to 8:30 pm Hillsboro Civic Center 150 E. Main St. Hillsboro, Oregon with representatives from the U.S. Attorney's Office, F.B.I., Washington County District Attorney's Office, Hillsboro Police, Washington County Sheriff's Office and the Oregon Coalition Against Hate Crimes. Full story at: The Oregonian. Full story at: Vancouver Voice According to Eugene Police, racially offensive and biased graffiti was applied to the exterior walls of the school. Police say a breeze-way area and nearby ball wall were also vandalized. Investigators are looking for leads on this incident or similar incidents in the nearby area. If you have any information, you are asked to contact Eugene Police at 682-8888. Full story at: KMTR.com. October 8, 2009 - Portland, Ore. - A Portland man was arrested Wednesday and accused of civil rights and mail violations for sending a noose in February 2008 to a regional director of the NAACP in Cleveland. Daniel Lee Jones, 33, is alleged to have used the Postal Service to send a noose to the home of Jason Upthegrove. The FBI said Jones sent hate literature to residents of Lima, Ohio, where an African American woman was recently shot by a police officer. During that time, Upthegrove was speaking out in the community against the mailings and for equal police service for African Americans. A noose is an unmistakable symbol of hatred and violence in our nation, conjuring up images of a despicable period in our history. Mailing a noose to an individual who advocates for racial equality sends a clear threat of violence, said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. If guilty of mailing threatening communications, Jones faces a maximum of five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. If guilty of interfering with federally protected activities, he faces up to a year in prison and $100,000 in fines. Full story at: KGW.com and The Oregonian September 12-13, 2009 - Vancouver, WA - Two well known Oregon Neo-Nazis held a "racialist BBQ and camp out" near Vancover, Washington. Dylan Marchand and Daniel Jones hosted the small group that included a speaker from the American Nazi Party. The two promoted the Northwest Imperative, which dreams of a white only homeland in the Norwestern corner of the United States.  Dylan Marchand September 9, 2009 - Portland, Ore. -- A 43-year-old man has been arrested and charged with intimidation, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment in an alleged hate crime, according to the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office. Vadim Ignatov was indicted by a grand jury on Wednesday for allegedly endangering his victim through intimidation and illegal use of a firearm, Lt. Mary Lindstrand said. Deputies also confiscated more than $200,000 in U.S. and foreign currencies, gold and platinum discovered in Ignatovs vehicle, Lindstrand said. The investigation began Aug. 29 after gunshots were fired into a family residence on NW 81st St. Detectives later learned the victims home had been shot at on other occasions when children and adults were present, sheriffs deputies said. "We were really shocked. We were shocked because we don't know him. I don't even see his face. It's like why is he doing this?" Suzanne Hachem said. Hachem and her son Mohammed stand in their living room, still trying to believe the damage is real. What started with an angry neighbor spraying a garden hose at them, quickly escalated to bullets flying into their home. Full story at: KGW.com August 6, 2009 - Portland, Ore. - Neighbors and city officials are organizing a "Community Speak Out" Friday night following a reported hate crime Sunday morning in the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood. Bao Vuong, a 22-year-old Portland State University student, says he was headed home from a friend's house, stopped at a traffic light at Northeast Fremont Street and 41st Avenue, about 6:30 a.m. when four young men waiting at a bus stop started shouting racial and sexual slurs at him. The verbal abuse turned to an assault, Vuong said, when the men threw bagels and cream cheese at his car, and one punched the passenger-side door of his vehicle. Vuong said he tried to ignore the four men, when they started calling him a "faggot." But then they continued with ethnic epithets. "For me'' Vuong said, "it felt like the longest light ever. I felt like a sitting duck." Full story at: The Oregonian  July 2, 2009 - Law enforcement authorities reportedly have identified a 21-year-old Vancouver man as the individual who made two threatening telephone calls to Congregation Beth Israel on the night of June 16. Jewish Federation of Greater Portland Community Relations Director Robert Horenstein said the suspect, whose name was not made public, admitted making the calls and the FBI is now working with the U.S. Attorneys office to determine if a crime has been committed. The alleged caller, whom authorities described to Horenstein as having low intelligence and no means to carry out any threats, reportedly said over the phone, The Nazis are coming to get you; there will be another Holocaust and You killed my Lord. You will pay. Full story at:JewishReview.org. June 28, 2009 - Pendleton, Ore. - Pendleton's downtown weiner dog race turned ugly Friday evening when a young man allegedly assaulted one of the judges. According to a Pendleton police report, witnesses saw a man in his 20s head-butt race judge Daniel Mitzimberg shortly after the end of the races. The report said the man had a shaved head and was wearing a black T-shirt and black pants. A friend of Mitzimberg's, James Harsin, said he did not see the incident, but talked with Mitzimberg shortly after it happened. "He (the young man) walked up and said something like, 'stinkin' Jew' - something racial - and he just slammed his head into him (Mitzimberg)," Harsin said. Harsin said the assault happened very fast, and the young man quickly disappeared. Mitzimberg did not call the police right away, but after a knot rose on his forehead and the pain did not go away, he decided to report the assault. "It was definitely a racial deal," Harsin said. Pendleton Police Sgt. Bill Caldera said the police department is looking for the man, who will most likely be charged with harassment or disorderly conduct. The police report mentioned the young man had a mole on the back of his head. Full story at: East Oregonian. June 24, 2009 - Portland, Ore. - Portland police have arrested a 23-year-old man, accused of kicking a teenager in the head and causing her a concussion after having asked her about her sexual orientation in downtown Portland last month. Portland police Detective Kevin Warren, who investigates bias crimes, charged Eduardo Herrerafarias with second-degree intimidation and fourth-degree assault. The assault, described in an article that ran in The Oregonian on June 13, described an attack on Ms. Junior Gay Pride Caitlin Bernardi. It occurred about 3:30 a.m. on May 17 outside the Benson Hotel on Southwest Broadway, near Oak Street. Full story at: The Oregonian. June 19, 2009 -NEAR SUTHERLIN, Ore. - A religiously-motivated billboard along Interstate 5 is grabbing a lot of attention. The sign posted along I-5 just south of Sutherlin shows four pictures, each one in transition from a man to a monkey. The advertiser claims the intent of the billboard is to raise awareness about possible misrepresentations of the theory of evolution, naturalism, and Darwinism. However, someone climbed up onto the billboard platform and spray-painted Obama's name right under the face of the monkey. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is now looking into this very visible case of vandalism. It's unclear when or if the sign will come down. Full story at: KDRV.com June 17, 2009 - Troutdale, Ore. - Two 18-year-old men who went on a rampage in Troutdale -- spray-painting swastikas, KKKs and racial slurs on two churches, tombstones in the Jewish section of a cemetery and parked cars -- were sentenced to jail terms of 30 and 90 days Tuesday. Both Timothy Charles Feininger and Brendan Scott Mackey pleaded guilty in Multnomah County Circuit Court to first-degree intimidation, criminal mischief and burglary. Mackey also pleaded guilty to recklessly endangering another person because he threw rocks at passing cars. Full story at: The Oregonian. June 15, 2009 - Eugene, Ore. - Two men who burned a cross and the letters "KKK" on the lawn of a black man in Medford, Ore., were sentenced to federal prison Tuesday. Judge Ann Aiken sentenced Gary Moss, 37, to serve 41 months in federal prison for conspiring to deprive individuals of their civil rights. Co-conspirator Devan Klausegger, 30, was sentenced to serve 51 months for the same charge. Both defendants were ordered to serve three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution to the victims in the amount of $3,107.00. Both defendants admitted that on May 26, 2008, Moss, who is white, poured a flammable liquid in the shape of a cross and the letters KKK on the front lawn of a residence leased by a black man and his family. Full story at: KVAL.com May 28, 2009 - Adrian Brown of the U.S. Attorney's office announced at the May CAHC meeting that it will now be easier to civil rights violations to federal authorities. The department's webistie has been revised to include descriptions of federal laws that can be used to prosecute civl rights vioations. The website is: May 16, 2009 - ALSEA, Ore. A prosecutor says he's not ruling out the possibility of hate crime charges if authorities can collar whoever burned a cross in the yard of a Benton County woman. District Attorney John Haroldson says his office takes hate crimes "very, very seriously," and he would review the case to determine if such charges are warranted. Last weekend, Summer MacLean of Alsea found a 5-foot cross charred in her lawn. She is the white mother of a 13-year-old adopted African-American child. The cross was described as constructed of two-by-fours and covered with a sheet. Investigating officers say they initially classified the incident as reckless burning because investigators hadn't turned up evidence of threats or prejudice. Full story at:Gazettetimes.com May 4, 2009 - Grants Pass, Or. - Grants Pass police arrested 10 people, including six juveniles as young as 12, in a downtown brawl they say may have had white supremacist and neo-Nazi overtones. Lt. Bill Landis said the Saturday night fight involved up to 20 people, and broke out when someone yelled at three people riding by on bicycles. The fight eventually spread over a couple blocks, though no property damage was reported. Landis said some people were yelling racial slurs and giving the Nazi salute, which allowed for hate crime charges to be brought against some of those arrested. He added that all seven police officers on duty, plus a few more, were needed to break things up. The Daily Courier newspaper reported police charged four young adults with riot and disorderly conduct. Full story at: StatesmanJournal.com April 22 - Medford, Or. - A Rogue Valley man recently released from prison after being convicted in a string of racially motivated assaults in 2003 now leads a statewide neo-Nazi group based in Phoenix. Andrew Lee Patterson identifies himself as the state leader of the National Socialist Movement, Oregon Unit, and said he has been a "storm trooper, first class" with the movement for about six months. Other unit leaders from around the state selected him as leader based on his active involvement, he said. The 29-year-old with a shaved head said he and his staff in Phoenix coordinate activity around the state, while a local unit focuses on recruiting and Southern Oregon issues especially illegal immigration and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Patterson would not disclose membership numbers, either locally or statewide. In recent weeks they have distributed fliers across the Rogue Valley and Klamath Falls calling for white pride and unity, denying the Holocaust happened and demanding that illegal immigrants return to Mexico so the white race doesn't become extinct. Police across Southern Oregon have been watching the group for several months and have seen an uptick in activity in the past two to three weeks, Medford police Lt. Tim Doney said. Full story at: The Mail Tribune April 2, 2009 - Portland, Oregon. The local media has reported thwo seperate bias-motivated attacks on the Goose Hollow MAX platform on March 26th. We will update the information as the incidents become clearer. KOIN-TV: Another attack on a downtown MAX platform has authorities wondering if the attack was a hate crime KGW-TV: Trio says alleged beating at MAX stop was hate crime March 23, 2009 - Seaside, Or. - A spring break trip to the Oregon coast was short cut by a vicious gay bashing for two nursing students from Western Washington. The two men, Sam, 22, and Kevin, 23, said they left a campfire to walk along the beach during what was supposed to be a stress-free getaway. But the walk itself was anything but stress free -- the two were beaten unconscious late Saturday night. When Sam and Kevin finally came to, the two nursing students knew just how serious their injuries were. "The whole event -- I really don't remember a lot, because I sustained a lot of head trauma," said Sam. "I've never had a face trauma like this or anything like that. It's pretty bad," Kevin said. Thinking back to the attack, the two men said they believe it was their sexual orientation that made them a target. "All of the sudden, someone asked if were gay, called us 'fags,' then started punching us," said Sam. The victims said three or four young men dressed in black attacked them, letting loose punch after punch. The attack left the two men severely injured and bruised. Kevin's right eye is so badly damaged he plans to see a plastic surgeon on Wednesday. Detectives want to speak to the individuals who were present at the campfire prior to the attack. Anyone with information on these individuals' identities is urged to call the Seaside Police Department at (503) 738-6311. Full story at: KOMONews.com  Feb. 17, 2009 - Troutdale, Or. - A Troutdale church burglarized several times in recent weeks has now been vandalized. Troutdale police Sgt. Steve Bevens said Monday night that officers discovered graffiti on the walls at Cherry Park Presbyterian Church, including swastikas, gang tags, the letters KKK and expletives targeted at Jews. Officers were also called to the Douglass Pioneer Cemetery, south of the church, where graffiti was spray-painted on several buildings and a monument stone that marks the entrance to the Jewish cemetery within Douglass Pioneer. No arrests have been made, but Bevens says a witness reported seeing a teenager writing on a cemetery building earlier Monday. Crews arrived Tuesday morning to clean up the spray paint. More information at: KATU.com UPDATE: Police: Teens admit to graffiti Feb. 18, 2009 - Troutdale, Or. - Detectives have arrested two suspects in a rash of Troutdale hate crimes involving a pair of churches, a cemetery and more than 30 other open graffiti- and vandalism-related cases. The two Troutdale residents admitted to applying graffiti in at least 50 locations in a month, according to police officials. With assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Troutdale Police detectives arrested Troutdale resident Brendan Mackey, 18, at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, as he left a tutoring session at a Stark Street restaurant, said Troutdale Police Sgt. Steve Bevens. An expelled Reynolds High School student, Mackey receives tutoring through Multnomah County-funded social services, Bevens explained. The next day, at 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, officers arrested Timothy Charles Feininger, 18, also of Troutdale, on a tip that he would be meeting with a Reynolds High School student that morning. Officers spotted Feininger, also a former Reynolds student, near the school. After a brief chase on foot, Feininger was apprehended near the Imagination Station playground. Full story at: The Gresham Outlook On Wednesday, February 18th, members of the Columbia County Latino community and their allies will join together for a community walk, entitled Procession for Respect and Dignity. The walk is organized by the new group Latinos Unidos para un Futuro Mejor (LUFM, or Latinos United for a Better Future), and is a public demonstration of the faces of Columbia Countys Latino Community that has been under attack for the last eighteen months by ballot measures 5-190 and 5-191. The Procession for Respect and Dignity will bring our neighbors and ourselves out of the shadows and show honest, responsible community members that work hard to support families and contribute to the local economy. At a recent organizing meeting, community members brainstormed reasons that they felt the procession would be an important gesture. We want to show the community that we are the same, we are human beings. We are respectful and contribute towards our community, and we deserve to be treated with dignity, said Yesenia Sanchez, LUFM president. It is important to be organized and united in these difficult economic times in order to support the entire community, added LUFM vice-president Martha Olmstead. Latinos Unidos para un Futuro Mejor was formed in response to the passage of county ballot measure 5-190, yet to be implemented, which if enacted would fine local employers $10,000 for hiring undocumented workers. Since November, Columbia County has attracted wide attention for dramatic job loss as businesses close shop or move to other parts of the state. Lionila Jimenez, LUFM secretary commented, "I have the legal right to work in this country, but the measure has still affected me. My hours have been cut from five days a week to two or three. This measure is affecting the entire community." Gary Liao, a local business owner and plaintiff in the court challenge to the measure said, "Measure 5-190, in addition to containing errors, omissions, and mixing jurisdictions, would create a climate of suspicion adversely affecting innocent employers and innocent people." With measure 5-190 and its high-profile court challenge, the previously invisible Latino community has been thrust into the spotlight. In the Procession for Respect and Dignity, the community will speak with a united voice for the first time, and show that we are your neighbors: honest, working people who deserve respect and dignity. WHEN: Wednesday, February 18, 2009. 4pm 6pm WHERE: In St. Helens, Oregon. Starting at the St. Frederic Catholic Church at 175 S 13th, and ending at the County Courthouse. WHO: New community organization Latinos Unidos para un Futuro Mejor (LUFM), in collaboration with Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity (CCCHD), and with support from the Rural Organizing Project, and CAUSA: Oregons Immigrants Rights Coalition. More information at: www.rop.org January 19 - March 29, 2009 - Portland Oregon: The Oregon Jewish Museum is hosting a unique exhibit about the history of discrinination in Oregon. Looking back through the 150 years since Oregon became part of the United States reveals an imperfect legacyplenty of occasions for Oregonians to feel proud of their state, but also darker chapters, discrimination among them. Oregons first constitution, written in 1857, denied African-Americans the right to live in the state. Did you know that before the Fair Housing Act was amended in 1988, more than 60% of the states rental units were off-limits to families with children? Many astonishing facts, perspectives, and images on the history of discrimination in Oregon can be experienced in two coordinated exhibitions, Anywhere But Here: A History of Housing Discrimination in Oregon, on loan from the Fair Housing Council of Oregon,and No Easy Road: Unlearning Discrimination in Oregon, on loan from the Oregon Area Jewish Committee. Additional stories collected by the Oregon Jewish Museum examine the experience of Oregons Jews. The Oregon Jewish Museums offers special tours and school programs in conjunction with Yes We Can! Unlearning Discrimination in Oregon. Please contact Leah Faw at education@ojm.org for more information. 310 NW Davis St. Portland, Oregon 97202 The Westboro Baptist Church, famous for its Anti-Gay protests is planning on being in Portland on Monday, November 24th, to stage various protests, including one at Portland State University. The WBC operates a website called "God hates fags" and has staged protests at the funeral of Matthew Shepard and American soldiers and has blamed the 9/11 attacks on America's tolerance of diverisity. The PSU community is working on a response. The WBC planned rallies: 11/24/2008 07:30 AM - 08:30 AM Portland State Univeristy (SW Market St & SW 13th Ave) 11/24/2008 08:45 AM - 09:15 AM Sweden Consulate (SW 5th Ave & W Burnside St) 11/24/2008 09:30 AM - 10:00 AM German Consulate (3rd Ave & SW Market St) 11/24/2008 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM Silverton, OR (306 S Water Street) 11/24/2008 2:45 PM - 3:15 PM Finland Consulate(10220 SW Greenburg Rd Tigard, OR) More information at: Queer Resource Center Story at: KATU.com   Speakers were the Honorable Ancer L. Haggerty, District of Oregon Chief Judge (the presiding trial judge), and Attorney Elden Rosenthal (co-counsel for the plaintiff). Here is the Oregonian's podcast on the anniversary: Today in Oregon and the Oregonian article: Lessons from Mulugeta Seraw's beating death changed Portland Full story at: The Oregonian September 29, 2008 - Gresham, Or. - Federal authorities will investigate a second incident in the metro area involving the defacement of presidential candidate Barack Obama's likeness, with racial overtones. Campaigners at Obama's Gresham office arrived Sept. 17 to find a racial epithet and a swastika drawn on window glass in front of a poster of the candidate. Gresham police responded but developed no leads. Now, the FBI will review the incident, said Beth Anne Steele, a spokeswoman for the FBI office in Portland. The FBI also is looking into an incident Sept. 23 at George Fox University in Newberg, where a cardboard cutout of Sen. Obama was found hanging from a tree. A sign there criticized a scholarship program for minority and low-income students. Steele said she couldn't speculate if the two incidents are related and said it will take additional investigation to determine if possible motives included intimidation based on race. Full story at: The Oregonian October 1, 2008 - Newberg, Or. - Four students at George Fox University in Newberg confessed to hanging an effigy of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama from a tree on campus and were suspended for up to a year, the university president announced Tuesday. Full story at: The Oregonian Full story at: The Examiner Read the story here at: The Skanner May 28: Hate graffiti found at Cesar Chavez Elementary School June 9: 59-year-old black man savagely beaten in NW Eugene June 9: Holocaust denier David Irving at Pacifica Forum June 19: Anti-Semitic graffiti found on Jewish familys house in NW Eugene June 21: Object with racist messages attached thrown through window of a business owned by a black man June 23: Anti-Semitic graffiti found on DeFazio footbridge June 24: White separatist Tomislav Sunic at Pacifica Forum For more information see: Protesters see link to recent hate crimes Story and video at: KATU.com UPDATE: All five teens have been arrested and face hate crime charges. Video at: KATU.com He says the victim told officers the three men asked for a cigarette Monday and then beat him with a baseball bat. Donaca says the victim recalls little else -- and doesn't recall anything said about race. The victim is expected to survive but will need reconstructive surgeries for severe head and face injuries. Source: Associated Press Investigators said they are trying to determine whether the two men are linked to other crimes, including an incident Thursday in which someone used gasoline to spell an obscenity and "KKK" on the pavement near the Whytes' house but fled before igniting it. A neighbor banged on her door about 10:30 p.m. Thursday to report that a man was pouring gasoline in the street, Sol Whyte said. She said relatives who came to stay with her after the Monday burning chased him, but the man leaped a fence and escaped. After Monday, she said, community members visited to drop off cards and letters of support, flowers and encouragement. That made her feel better, but after the incident Thursday changed her mind. She said the family would stay with relatives. "If what they want is for me to move, then I will move," she told the Medford Mail Tribune. "I have to keep my kids safe." Source: The Oregonian Additional story at: The Mail-Tribune.com Story at: The Oregonian May 27, 2008 - Medford, Or. - Residents near Medford's Union Park found the letters "KKK" burned into their front lawn late Monday, police say. Officers who responded also found a small, improvised explosive device, which did not detonate, Medford police said in a press release today. Witnesses told officers they saw people running toward Union Park after the letters were found. Police say they do not know the motive for the vandalism, but resident Sol White told police her husband is from Jamaica. An investigation is continuing. Story at: The Mail Tribune  January 30, 2008 - Portland, Or. - Hundreds of Oregonians from all over the state showed up in the freezing rain to make a stand for equal rights. The demonstration called for a end of out-of-state groups, like Restore America, disrupting the legistlative process that would extend a variety of rights to domestic partners. The law, which has been held up by anti-gay activists, will be reviewed on Feb. 1. Full story of the rally at: The Daily Vanguard To make a stand for equality, contact Basic Rights Oregon BREAKING NEWS! Congress drops hate crime bill covering attacks on gays (click here) December 20, 2007 - Portland, Or. - One of the most well-known figures in the Northwest skinhead movement was rearrested in Oregon. Kyle Brewster, 38, was one of three neo-Nazis who killed an Ethiopian immigrant back in 1988. He out of prison in 2002, but officers say he violated parole by contacting a white supremacist group and went back in 2006. December 9, 2007 - Longview, Wa. - Approximiately 500 community members attended a diversity rally in opposition to a meeting by the racist group, the Church of Jesus Christ Christian. The racist group, which is linked to Aryan Nations and various Neo-Nazi groups, had about 50 members in attendence and has tried to start a regular church in the area. Full story at: The Daily News Online November 19, 2007 - Associated Press - Hate crime incidents were up slightly in Oregon in 2006, according to new data from the FBI. There were 141 such incidents in Oregon in 2006, up from 137 in 2005, according to the FBI's data, which was released Monday. Race was the motivation for 66 of the attacks, the FBI says, followed by religion, which was behind 27 of the incidents. Twenty-five of the hate crimes have been linked to sexual orientation, and 23 have been connected to ethnicity. The FBI says that more than half of the hate crimes were connected to violent offenses, including assaults and intimidation. The 2006 Hate Crime data can be viewed at the FBI UCR Website (click here) Full story by Amy M.E. Fisher at: The Daily News Online Full story by Kathleen Gorman at The Oregonian. Also read Hammerfest Update: Nazi skinhead locations revealed in The Willamete Week.  Billy Roper Portlanders should be aware that there are both potentially violent racist skinheads in the city (especially in Southeast Portland), as well as potentially violent anti-racist activist who wish to attack the racists (including anti-racist skinheads). The Portland Police are monitoring the situation, but the HCRN phone line will be open if there is any activity you wish to report (503-725-8502). There is also a community gathering and rally against racism being held to show that Portland is a place of inclusion, not exclusion. Saturday, October 6th, 1 pm Lents Park (corner of SE 92nd and SE Holgate) Be safe! Portland is strong because it is diverse! Full story by Scott Burton at: KGW.com (click here). Full story at: Staff members were uncertain how to handle the issue and how much district support they would have, he said. Last year 10th-graders Derrick Cisneros and Harley Casillas heard about classmates using slurs referring to their Hispanic heritage behind their backs. Some of the racist remarks came from football teammates, Casillas said. They saw swastikas on bathroom walls. Cisneros avoided the city park where alleged skinheads stared him down. Full story at: KAVL.com Eugene (Click here) Groups hoping to overturn two Oregon gay-rights laws delivered nine boxes filled with petitions to the secretary of state late Wednesday. But those petitions may not contain enough valid signatures to win a spot on the November 2008 ballot. Opponents need 55,179 signatures from registered voters to force a referendum on each law. They delivered nearly 63,000 signatures on each. Full story by Michelle Cole at:The Oregonian (click here) On Saturday, July 7th, Thymos will present a screening of Christine Choy and Renee Tajima-Penas award winning documentary Who Killed Vincent Chin, followed by a townhall type panel discussion regarding hate crimes against Asian-Pacific Americans. The documentary recounts the true story of a young Chinese American man named Vincent Chin who was beaten to death by two unemployed white auto workers during the early 1980s. According to court papers, the motive for the beating arose from racial tensions sparked by Japans dominance in the automobile industry, and the murder, along with the subsequent light punishments of the perpetrators, outraged Asian Americans across the country. For Asian American activists, Vincent Chin became symbolic of the racism that Asian Americans face in everyday life and the historic failure of the American courts to enforce justice for victims of anti-Asian violence. Thymos will present this screening in conjunction with Asian Pacific Americans for Progress's National Townhall on Hate Crimes in observance of the 25th anniversary of Vincent Chins death. The townhall meeting will be recorded for possible broadcast through Asian Pacific Americans for Progress. Date: July 7, 2007 Time: 3:00 pm 6:00 pm Place: OHSU Doernbecher Childrens Hospital, 11th Floor Auditorium Panelists: Ms. Tracey Lam (Producer, KATU News) Mr. John Kodachi, JD (Lawyer; President of Japanese American Citizens League) Dr. Patti Sakurai, PhD (Professor of Ethnic Studies, Oregon State University) Mr. William Chin, J.D., M.S. (Professor of Legal Analysis and Writing, Lewis and Clark Law School) Sponsors: Korean American Citizens League Japanese American Citizens League KBOO Radio APA Compass Oregon Minority Lawyers Association For more information, please contact Byron Wong at 503.318.3642 or e-mail at byronwong@gmail.com You can read the full story here: Immigration debate stirs animosity This vigil was sponsored by: Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition Coalition Against Hate Crimes Rural Organizing Project Atkinson Memorial Church Unitarian Universalist Prince of Life Lutheran Church Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem St. Stephens Lutheran Church Democracy Talking Oregon Farmworkers Ministry Detective Jim Strovink of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department has told the CAHC that the investigation of this case is a top priority for the county and that there should be more news soon. May 27, 2007 Mulino, Ore. - MULINO A score of white teenagers attacked two Salem men at a park south of Portland, chanting Go back to Mexico as they delivered the beating, police said. The violence erupted Thursday night at Wagon Wheel Park in Mulino, a town about 25 miles south of Portland. Edwin Gonzales, 27, and Alex Guzman, 26, were drinking beer and talking with two girls who were at the park with a large group of male teens. At one point, Guzman, Gonzales and the girls went for more beer. When they returned, more than 20 male teens jumped Gonzales and Guzman, police said. These poor souls were terrified, said Detective Jim Strovink, spokesman for the Clackamas County Sheriffs Office. They were minding their own business, and they were attacked with absolutely no provocation. Austin Wright Greenwood, 18, of Oregon City was identified by the victims as the ringleader. He was charged with assault and criminal mischief and lodged at the Clackamas County Jail.  Full story at:The Oregonian Online. As the founder of the whites-only European Kindred prison gang, David Patrick Kennedy has a reputation as a violent racist who commands respect from fellow criminals. But Monday afternoon, Kennedy told more than 100 Madison High School students that he is not proud of his life and that no one should look up to him. Read the full story at: The Portland Tribune On Line. April 03, 2007 Springfield, Ore - A Springfield man was sentenced Tuesday to 11 years, 3 months in federal prison for his role in a series of hate crimes, including a 2002 attack on Eugene's Temple Beth Israel synagogue. In a plea arrangement with the government last summer, Jacob Albert Laskey, 26, acknowledged that he was guilty of conspiracy to violate civil rights, damaging religious property, soliciting murder, obstruction of justice, soliciting a bomb threat against Eugene's federal courthouse and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the government, Laskey and four other white supremacists drove to the synagogue on Oct. 25, 2002, and threw rocks etched with swastikas through stained-glass windows as 80 congregants worshiped inside. As part of his plea, Laskey admitted that he later attempted to intimidate co-conspirator Jesse Baker into withholding information from FBI investigators. Laskey also admitted that he solicited Baker to kill potential witnesses and call in a bomb threat to the Eugene courthouse, where a grand jury was looking into his crimes Source: The Oregonian. April 04, 2007 Newberg, Ore. - A national group that advocates gay and lesbian rights is targeting George Fox University for using religion to discriminate against homosexuals. The group,Soulforce will spend Friday on the campus of the Quaker university in Newberg. The stop - the only one in Oregon - is part of a tour of 32 Christian colleges and universities across the country. Brandon Kneefel, a 20-year-old Penn State University student and Soulforce spokesman, said the group's mission is to "spark a dialogue" about what it means to be Christian and gay or transexual. He said about two dozen young people will visit the school to tell administrators "how these policies are harmful and causing pain on these campuses." Brad Lau, vice president for student life at George Fox, said while school leaders "clearly disagree" with Soulforce, the group's members are welcome to visit. Lau said the school would participate in a "day of dialogue," including a breakfast meeting between Soulforce members and school administrators. "We see this as an opportunity to model to students and our community how to be Christ in the world, including civil discourse with people with whom we disagree," Lau said. Lau said incoming George Fox students agree to honor the school's view on sexual expression. He said sex within marriage between a man and woman is God's plan for sexual fulfillment, and that anything outside of that, including homosexuality, adultery and promiscuity, is not acceptable. "We certainly have students and others who may struggle with same-sex attraction but they agree to live by" the school's "lifestyle commitment," he said. Source: The Oregonian. We are collecting letters on Steven's behalf so the judge in his case can make a decision that considers Steven's contribution to the community. If Steven Stroud has spoken to your group, or his work helping young people get out of the hate movement has impacted you (even if you just saw him on Oprah), please consider writing a letter. If his work monitoring hate groups in Oregon or speaking to young people about the dangers of hate, please consider writing a letter. For now, you can send letters to: Dr. Randy Blazak Dept. of Sociology, PSU Portland, Oregon 97207 Or email it to: cfrb@pdx.edu Thanks, Steven could really use the support. Some of you may have heard the Steven Stroud was arrested yesterday for a series of robberies in the area. I want members of the CAHC to know the circumstances that have lead this great member of our community to such a low point. For the past several years Steven has been battling lymphoma. As one of the millions of Americans without health insurance he has tried to find the best cancer treatment available to someone of his means. Unfortunately, that treatment was never adequate and Steven found refuge from the pain in heroin. He was horribly embarrassed that he had become addicted to the drug and entered several drug treatment programs. Unfortunately, the drug was stronger than he was. Over the past ten years Steven has done incredible work fighting hate crime in the community. With the Oregon Spotlight, the CAHC, and on his own he has reached out to members of the racist subculture to show them a better way. He has talked to countless students about his life as a former racist skinhead. His monitoring work has provided an invaluable source of information to law enforcement, the media, and academics. He routinely risked his life for this cause. There were fewer hate crimes in Oregon because of his efforts. Steven will come out of this crisis with great insight to share with the world, but for now he could use our prayers. Randy Blazak George said there have been no reported problems with racial intimidation in the area. Medford police have not had a similar case anywhere in the city in quite some time, he said. "It's disturbing to say the least," George said. "We are going to be following up on this case (today)." He added that the suspects may have left physical evidence on the rock and note. Detectives will check them today. Anyone with information is asked to call Medford police at 774-2250. Scott Learn The Oregonian. But this week, as Larsen was backing out of the garage on her way to work, she found the word "lesbos" spray painted on the garage door. The partners of 22 years say it's the first time that any of the vandalism has made reference to their sexual orientation, and the big red letters made them feel like the victims of a hate crime. The couple has lived at their home for about eight years, but it's only in the last three or four years that the vandalism has been happening, they said. Though police have no suspects, Tillman said it must be someone who knows them. "Someone who knows us, but when I say 'know us,' they don't really know us at all," Tillman said. The couple said they abstain from public displays of affection and their relationship is an "unspoken secret." Though their house isn't the only one in the neighborhood to be targeted for minor vandalism, such as an egging, the women, who moved to the mid-Willamette Valley in the 1990s, said the spray paint feels like a physical threat, and they are considering installing a surveillance system. The incident was reported to Albany police, and an officer interviewed the women and took pictures of the garage door. Detectives also reviewed the case, Police Chief Ed Boyd said. But there are no suspects, and Boyd said the department typically allocates resources to cases where there are suspects, leads and opportunity for follow up.(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Story at: KATU.com It will cost several hundred dollars to remove the graffiti, an especially difficult task since the congregation only has 35 members and not a great deal of extra spending money in the budget. Source: www.KGW.com The bar does have security cameras, and police are looking through the surveillance tapes. "The Urge" has only been open since May. Source: www.KOIN.com Full story at: The Oregonian Everyone is invited to participate in the 2nd Annual Washington County WALK FOR UNITY to celebrate the wonderful diversity of our community.  The 3 mile walk and community celebration will feature music by Wood Vibrations Marimba Band, food booths, a community fair featuring tables from non-profit community service organizations, special projects for kids, and much more! 2006 Walk for Unity - It's FREE! Anyone can participate! When: Sunday, September 10, 2006 2:00 PM Where: Beaverton City Park - 4950 SW Watson Ave. Beaverton, OR Sponsored by: Providence Health System Presented by: Committee, Beaverton Human Rights Advisory Council, City of Beaverton, Hands On Washington County, Inter-Religious Action Network of Washington County, Islamic Society of Greater Portland, Vision Action Network and Washington County Want to become more involved? Volunteer on the day of the event! Please call the Vision Action Network at 503-846-5792 or go to www.visionactionnetwork.org for more information. Jacob Laskey, 25, and Gabriel Laskey, 21, face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for conspiring to deprive people of their civil rights and 20 more years for damaging religious property in the Oct. 25, 2002, attack against Temple Beth Israel in Eugene. Jacob Laskey also pleaded guilty to soliciting the murder of a witness, soliciting a bomb threat against the federal courthouse in Eugene to interrupt grand jury proceedings and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Full story at: The Oregonian Police said the man in the street, a 39-year-old Gresham man, was conscious but confused. Witnesses said he was punched in the face several times and kicked in the head or upper torso. An ambulance was called to the intersection, and at least three victims received medical attention at the scene, police said. The other two victims were a 24-year-old man from Southeast Portland and a 21-year-old man whose hometown was unknown, police said. The case is being forwarded to Bias Crime Detective Molly Daul for investigation. No arrests had been made. Police said many of those gathered at the scene had spilled out of area bars. The suspects were described as two men in their 20s, about - 5 feet 10 and 5 feet 11 inches tall, and weighing 175 to 185 pounds. -- Maxine Bernstein  Thirty-seven-year-old Kyle Brewster was sentenced to 15 years for manslaughter in the 1988 beating death of Mulugeta Seraw in Portland. Brewster was released in November 2002 and was scheduled to complete his parole in 2008. But parole officials say they found evidence that Brewster had been in contact with members of the white supremacist group Volksfront and that violated parole provisions that prohibit him from being involved in gang activity. Seraw, an airport shuttle bus driver, was killed with a baseball bat outside his apartment when confronted by Brewster, Kenneth Mieske and Steve Strasser. Mieske, who wielded the bat, pleaded guilty to murder while Strasser pleaded guilty to manslaughter. 
HATE CONFERENCE A GREAT SUCCESS!
WHAT: 2006 Oregon Hate Crimes Conference: Uniting to Confront Bias and Hate in My Community with Sherman Alexie and Dolores Huerta WHEN: June 21 - 23, 2006 WHERE: Portland Community College, Cascade Campus INFORMATION: Contact Mandy Ellertson at melletso@pcc.edu or call (503) 614-7261, or visit the conference website at: http://oregonstate.edu/conferences/hatecrimes2006/ Sponsored by: The Coalition Against Hate Crimes, Portland Community College, American Jewish Committee, City of Portland, Fair Housing Council of Oregon, FBI, Oregon State University, Portland Police Bureau, Sexual Minorities Roundtable and Southeast Uplift Center Police arrest four in racial confrontation Tuesday, August 16, 2005 - GRESHAM -- It was late Sunday when Kamau Herndon walked from his house in Gresham to his neighborhood 7-Eleven to pick up a six-pack of beer. One of the white men pulled a machete from the front seat of a Chevrolet Suburban, said Officer Grant McCormick, a Gresham Police Department spokesman. Herndon said the man began waving the machete while the three people with him continued to taunt Herndon. When Massey and Miller came out to help Herndon, the man began waving the machete in Massey's face, according to police reports. "He was twirling the machete, and his friends were yelling, 'White Power!' -- slapping their chests and giving the Nazi salute," Massey said. "You could see where they had written swastikas on the side of the 7-Eleven." The store clerk came out and said he had just called 9-1-1, and the police were on their way. McCormick said the group got into the Suburban and, after trying to run the three men down, headed east on Division Street. Police caught the SUV about nine blocks away. The driver, William P. Henry, 29, of Southeast Portland, was arrested inside the vehicle. Three other suspects -- 22-year-old Christian L. Coats, 25-year-old Dennis L. Mothersbaugh and 22-year-old Ariane E. Celis, all Gresham residents -- were caught nearby. The full story is at The Oregonian. WHAT: "Day of Condemnation - Not in My Name" WHEN: Saturday, July 30, 12:00 noon - 3:00 pm WHERE: Terry Schrunk Plaza SW 3rd between Madison and Jefferson, Portland OR Special report at: Basic Rights Oregon. Holocaust survivor Renée Firestone - Lecture and film screening to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Firestone, 81, is an Auschwitz survivor and the founding lecturer for the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Education Outreach Program in Los Angeles. She is a trainer and interviewer with Steven Spielberg's Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation. Her story is included in the Academy Award-winning documentary "The Last Days." Film: "The Last Days" Wednesday, April 13, 7:30 p.m. Miller Center for the Humanities, Room 105 Lecture: "Where Have All These Faces Gone: A Holocaust Survivor's Perspective on Racism, Resistance, and Tolerance" Thursday, April 14, 7:30 p.m. Agnes Flanagan Chapel Lewis & Clark College (0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road) INFORMATION: Both events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Jewish Student Union at jsu@lclark.edu or call 503-768-7961 February 23, 2005 From Basic Rights Oregon: The Oregon Family Council, the notoriously anti-gay group which helped to launch the "Defense of Marriage Coalition," has--for the first time--hired a lobbyist to advance its anti-gay agenda in the Oregon Legislature. In addition, a bill was introduced Monday, February 21 that is designed to permanently deny any current or future relationship rights for same-sex couples. Senate bill 799, which is sponsored by Senator George and Representative Sumner, would create Oregon law that bans not only same-sex marriage, but also civil unions, domestic partnerships and any "marriage substitute" that provides benefits and protections generally afforded through marriage. It would also prevent the state from recognizing any same-sex marriage or partnership entered into outside of the State of Oregon. You can read the full story at Basic Rights News. The February issue of Dissident Voice features an interview with CAHC chair Dr. Randy Blazak about the state of hate groups in 2005. You can read the interview at: Blazak interview. Tualatin Valley Skinheads Bring Portland Allies Together! The Coalition Against Hate Crimes was a sponsor of the Southwest Unity Rally on January 8. The event was put together to celebrate diversity and denounce hate, as a response to a planned racist flier distribution by the Tualatin Valley Skins, a local racist group who had also publicized a gathering in Gabriel Park in Southwest Portland. The Unity Rally, held at the Multnomah Center, had standing room only, with over 1,000 people filling the auditorium, the gym, the courtyard, and the hallways of the Center. Emily Gottfried, Oregon Area Jewish Committee Executive Director and CAHC Steering Committee member, was the emcee for the program, which included Mayor Tom Potter, State Senator Ginny Burdick, Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfield of Congregation P'nai Or , Shahriar Ahmed of the Bilal Mosque, County Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffy, Rev. David Knapp of St. Luke Lutheran, and many others. Over 30 diverse groups co-sponsored the event. Earlier in January, both the Portland City Commissioners and the Multnomah County Commissioners passed resolutions to denounce acts of hate. At the end of the rally, Mayor Potter said, "The mayor of the city needs to stand up on these issues and support people doing the right thing. I'm so glad I can do it." Emily Gottfried said she had expected the huge crowd, judging from the response she had from e-mails and talking to people. "I would have been surprised if we were not filled to the rafters," she said. "People really wanted to be here." And after all the attention, the skinheads did not distribute one flier and did not gather at Gabriel Park. The only confrontation of the day was between two men yelling "white power," and a group of anti-racists gathered outside the Southwest Community Center. Emily Georges Gottfried, AJC Basic Rights Oregon attorneys filed a lawsuit Monday, January 31 challenging the constitutionality of Measure 36, a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage approved by Oregon voters on November 2, 2004. Measure 36 reads, ³It is the policy of Oregon, and its political subdivisions, that only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or legally recognized as a marriage. Full story at: Basic Rights Oregon. January 29, 2005 SALEM -- Rabbi Gary Schoenberg of Portland said he was so angry over two adopt-a-road signs recognizing the American Nazi Party that he was tempted to drive to Marion County and pluck them from the ground himself.But someone beat him to it. Sometime early Friday afternoon, the sign closest to the Salem city limits on Sunnyview Road disappeared. Earlier in the week, someone damaged an identical sign about 3 miles down Sunnyview and county public works crews removed it. The county signs -- among more than 100 in Marion County that mark volunteer efforts to clean up roadsides -- were particularly hard to see during the same week as the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz, Schoenberg said. Full story at: The Oregonian. January 9, 2005 - On a day when Skinheads failed to appear, an estimated 1,000 Southwest Portlanders turned out Saturday at two nearby events to encourage diversity and hate prevention. Mayor Tom Potter and a constellation of political, religious and neighborhood leaders addressed an overflow "unity rally" at the Multnomah Center, while another 300 people at Gabriel Park protested against hate. The demonstrators mobilized after a local Skinhead group announced plans to gather Saturday afternoon at Gabriel Park to distribute anti-Jewish literature in Southwest Portland neighborhoods. But no Skinheads showed up. Full story at The Oregonian. WASHINGTON (October 27, 2004 ) - The Justice Department today announced the indictment of two Oregon men who are accused of desecrating a Jewish cemetery in Portland. Sean Andrew Sigley and SHS have been both charged with the hate crime. The two allegedly vandalize the Congregation Shaarie Torah Cemetery on May 24th, 2003, painting swastikas and anti-Semitic graffiti in the Jewish sanctuary. According to the indictment, their actions were meant to frighten and intimidate Jewish residents. If convicted of the crime, they each face a maximum sentence of eleven years behind bars. (Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Tuesday, October 19, 2004 HILLSBORO -- Police say incidents of bags with racist fliers being thrown onto people's yards in predominantly white neighborhoods last weekend are part of a pattern spreading across the Portland area. "Hillsboro is just the latest," said Lt. Chris Skinner, Hillsboro Police Department spokesman.Skinner said bags containing rocks and two-page fliers of racist jokes targeting Latinos and containing a threat of deportation by "Homeland Security" were thrown into at least 10 Hillsboro yards. "It looks like this was mostly in the northwest area of town," Skinner said. "The majority of our Hispanic population is in the southwest part of town."It's almost as if they were intentionally going into white neighborhoods to recruit." The fliers include the Web address for the Tualatin Valley Skins group. The group's site on Monday included a prominent headline, "The Hillsburito Hate Crew Had Fun Last Night." Full story at: The Oregonan September 5, 2004 VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) - The Clark County Sheriff's Office has arrested 10 teenagers who are believed to have taken part in what authorities are calling a racially motivated attack on two black teens this summer. Most of those arrested are current or former Evergreen High School students in Vancouver. Full story at KATU.com. The formal dedication ceremony for the Oregon Holocaust Memorial will be Sunday, August 29 at 2:00 PM near the Memorial site in Washington Park. The public is invited to the ceremony that will feature Mayor Vera Katz and other civic and religious leaders, as well as music from a large interfaith choir and local performer Amy Shapiro. After the ceremony, the Memorial will be open to all. Trained docents from the Oregon Holocaust Resource Center will be stationed at the site from 3:00 PM on. Parking is limited near the Memorial, so attendees are encouraged to park at the Portland First United Methodist Church (SW 18th and Jefferson) and to take the shuttle buses from there provided by the dedication organizers. The shuttles will run from 12:00 noon until 2:00 PM and again from 3:00 5:00 PM. Public transportation is also an option Tri-Met bus# 63 runs directly to the Memorial. A special pre-dedication tour will be held for members of the media on Friday, August 27 from 1:30 3:00 PM. Because construction is ongoing, this is the only time that the media are invited to preview the Memorial. Please call (503) 295-6761 for information. May 28, 2004 - About 200 residents, officials and students gathered in a local park Thursday to rally against a recent onslaught of racist literature and CDs tied to a white supremacist group's recruitment efforts. City officials and experts said the rally, the first of its kind in Portland's suburbs, was necessary to make the group feel unwanted and to thwart its efforts to gain members among area residents and high school students. (Source: The Oregonian) To use the moral authority of the Coalition and its members to give expression to the community conscience as spelled out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its covenants.
Portland Office of Human Relations
c/o Dr. Randy Blazak, Portland State University Website Design © 2002 by T.L. Kelly
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The Coalition Against Hate Crimes (CAHC) was started by the