Racist flyer at CU investigated

Colorado Daily/October 1, 2002
Maria Bondes

While anti-Semitic flyers were removed from billboards across the CU-Boulder campus this weekend, an investigation into who placed them there also began.

"Facilities Management immediately started removing them (the flyers) as soon as it (the posting) was reported," said Pauline Hale, a CU spokeswoman.

The incident was further reported to the CU Police Department, which is investigating the case, which was labeled as an unlawful conduct according to Lt. Tim McGraw, CU Police spokesman.

"It (the posting) was in violation of a building rule, which states that items posted on the bulletin board, where they were posted, required approval," said McGraw.

McGraw said the case was being investigated, but declined to give further details about the investigation.

The police are attempting to identify a suspect in the case who was observed posting some of the flyers, according to Hale.

In the wake of a number of hate crimes at CU, the flyer, an anti-Semitic questionnaire, was posted on bulletin boards around the CU campus late last week.

The flyer indicates that the postings were made by the National Alliance. A recording at their local office stated that the group is "America's foremost organization working for the long-term interest of men and women of European descent."

Klanwatch identifies the organization as a Neo-Nazi hate group located in Hillsboro, West Virginia.

National Alliance purports to be concerned about issues like the "out-of control immigration situation, ...Jewish monopoly control of our mass media, ...and the loss of economy due to the globalization of trade," according to the phone message.

"We oppose the government's enforcement of quotas and multiculturalism and political correctness in our schools and universities," said the phone message.

CU officials said they are concerned about the anti-Semitic messages that were posted anonymously and illegally on the campus.

"We condemn such bigotry and will vigorously investigate this incident. Such hate-filled messages are disturbing and offensive to our campus community," said a statement given by the CU Administration about the incident. "These actions do not reflect the mission or values of the Boulder campus. We remain committed to cultivating a campus atmosphere of tolerance, respect and civility."

Although the distribution of the flyers is but one in a series of recent hate-related crimes at CU, CU Police and administration agree the incident does not indicate a rising tendency toward anti-Semitism on the CU campus.

"We don't have anything that indicates that," said McGraw. "The number of hate crimes we had so far this year parallels with what we had in the past."

McGraw rather related the incident to the controversial visit by Hanan Ashrawi to the CU campus a few weeks ago, but emphasized that hate crimes are not a new situation for the CU Police.

"I certainly think that Ashrawi's speech probably may have provided some focus or motivation for people, but these things tend to happen once or twice a year, where particular groups are targeted," he said.

Similar incidents involving the same group have occurred at CU-Boulder and on other campuses in Colorado and throughout the United States in the past, according to the statement given by the CU Administration.

"One of the reasons National Alliance does that (the distribution of flyers) and does it here, is because reporters pick up on it and report it," McGraw added. "My guess would be, if the media left it alone, they'd quit doing it."