On Saturday, November 21, 2015, there was a report of a racially motivated assault on a Lewis & Clark student. The Coalition Against Hate Crime wants to form an appropriate response but it is important to point out that this is currently an ongoing investigation.

The Portland Police Bureau has issued a statement and is asking members with any information about this  incident is asked to contact Detective Todd Prosser at 503-823-9320, todd.prosser@portlandoregon.gov.

Portland Police Statement

It is the position of the CAHC to aid hate crime victims and their community in a healing response to the corrosive impact of hate crimes and incidents so there will be further communications about this case in the future.

By Maxine Bernstein | The Oregonian/OregonLive

A black student at Lewis & Clark College was assaulted on campus by three white men who used racial epithets during the attack, Portland police said Saturday.

The 26-year-old student told officers he was assaulted in the Estate Gardens, near the reflecting pool, about 9 p.m. Friday, police said. He waited more than three hours before notifying police at 12:49 a.m. Saturday, saying he first talked with friends about it, Portland police Sgt. Pete Simpson said.

Investigators are treating the attack as a potential hate crime, according to police and college officials. Meanwhile, Lewis & Clark is bringing in extra security for the Southwest Portland campus.

The student, who was not named, fought back and was able to get away, police said. Though police said he did not require medical attention, college officials said medical personnel did respond and treated the student at the scene.

The student was described later Saturday morning as “physically safe,” and being supported on campus, according to Anna Gonzalez, dean of students.

Police said the three suspects were described as college-age white males, 5 foot 8 inches tall with medium builds.

Full story here: The Oregonian

The History Of The KKK In Oregon

by Julie Sabatier, OPB, Think Out Loud

Fliers promoting the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) have been found in various locations around Oregon, most recently in Molalla. It’s unclear who is distributing the fliers and if they have an official connection to the well-known hate group.

Sociologist Randy Blazak has studied hate groups for decades and he says he does not know of any organized KKK chapter in Oregon right now, but the group does have quite a history in the state. The 1920s was the heyday of the KKK nationwide and in Oregon, when local officials felt comfortable posingfor photos with the group’s leaders.

GUEST:

• Randy Blazak: Chair of the Oregon Coalition Against Hate Crimes

You can listen to the interview here: The History of the KKK in Oregon

MOLALLA – Police report that some Molalla residents awoke Sunday morning to find Ku Klux Klan recruiting fliers had been left at their homes.

The door-to-door effort is the fourth in recent weeks. Residents in West Linn, Gresham and Oregon City reported finding fliers at their homes earlier this month.

Molalla police said they have not identified anyone connected with the fliers and do not know whether it is a sharp-edged prank or a serious effort to attract members. The fliers showed up in the Big Meadow subdivision on the north side of the city.

Police Chief Rod Lucich said the fliers, while purporting to be from a known hate group, are a form protected free speech tucked into randomly tossed litter.

“Whereas the distribution of these fliers in any town may not be unlawful, they are a clear and present sign of prejudice and intolerance that I will not condone and I am certain the citizens of Molalla do not welcome,” Lucich said.

The fliers are identical to those distributed in West Linn, Gresham and Oregon City.

The first Ku Klux Klan was founded immediately after the Civil War to promote white supremacy and harass newly freed slaves. The KKK has been reorganized twice since. The current organization has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League.

In 2004, neighborhoods in Tigard and Tualatin were hit by fliers recruiting for the Aryan Nations, a neo-Nazi organization that preaches white supremacy. After an investigation, police traced it to one man who was not affiliated with any groups, but who wanted to attract attention.

Anyone with information about the fliers is encouraged to call the Molalla Police Department at 503-929-8817.

— Rick Bella rbella@oregonian.com

503-294-5915; @southnewshound

Source: The Oregonian