Columbus Round Table

COLUMBUS, OH —Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) convened a roundtable discussion with law enforcement officials, as well as faith and community leaders at the Columbus Urban League to discuss keeping Ohio safe from hate groups and threats of domestic terrorism in the wake of the Charlottesville attack. 

“It’s our responsibility to make clear, without equivocation, that racism and hate are not welcome in our great state, and we will not tolerate threats, intimidation, or violence against our neighbors,” said Brown. “I’m committed to ensuring Ohio law enforcement officers have the tools and resources they need to protect Ohioans and their property from hate crimes, to identify hate groups, and to aggressively go after domestic terrorists and prosecute perpetrators of hate crimes in Ohio.”

Brown’s letter asks the agencies for a list of all domestic terrorist organizations or hate groups known by federal authorities to be present in Ohio and information on cases of domestic terrorism or hate crimes in the state. Brown also wants information on the policies used by each agency in sharing with state and local law enforcement information on domestic terror organizations and hate groups that federal law enforcement discovers to be present or operating in Ohio.

Immediately following the events in Charlottesville, Brown released a statement condemning the attack.

In March, Brown joined Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) in a letter with all 100 members of the U.S. Senate to address bomb threats made against Jewish Community Centers, Jewish Day Schools, and Synagogues in Ohio and throughout the country. The Senators urged Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and FBI Director James Comey to continue efforts to combat these anti-Semitic acts.

Brown has also condemned threats of violence and intimidation against Ohioans.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Ohio ranks in the top ten states for the number of active hate groups, with thirty-five operating in the state.

Full text of the letter to FBI Director Wray is available here. Text of the letter to Attorney General Sessions is available here.

Brown was joined at the roundtable discussion by representatives from the Columbus Urban League, Columbus My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Family Services of Columbus, the First Church of God, Union Grove Baptist Church, the Kirwan Institute, YWCA, Noor Islamic Cultural Center, Franklin County, and the City of Columbus. 

 

  

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