The Eugene City Council passed a resolution Monday night condemning white nationalism — an important step in standing up to hate and addressing Oregon's racist history, city officials and representatives of local diversity-focused organizations said.

The first step in a conversation matters, said Joel Iboa, chair of the city’s human rights commission.

"A resolution, to us, is an affirmation of our values," said Iboa, who also is a coalition manager at Causa Oregon. "A resolution is always the first step to something greater."

The resolution, passed by councilors in a 4-3 vote, focuses on fostering a safe, inclusive city and showing solidarity for people in Eugene who oppose white nationalism. Councilors Emily Semple, Betty Taylor and Mike Clark voted against — but each condemned white nationalism.

“We need to push back against the anger and the increased volume of hatred that’s going on in the community,” said David Saez, Centro Latino Americano executive director. “I would see this as an opportunity for the city council to reinforce (its) commitment to equity and fair treatment for all people.”

Centro Latino Americano is one of the 24 local organizations that signed in support of the resolution. For many groups, the statement was an appropriate use of city council’s authority.

“The City Council reflects the values of its city,” said Nadia Telsey, a member of Showing Up for Racial Justice “And there’s no place for a white ethno-state. The statement needs to be really strong.”

In the Eugene-Springfield area, SURJ has led workshops on how to identify white nationalism. Telsey said the group signed in support of the resolution because they see white nationalism as a “growing thread that’s infiltrated the government and gone mainstream.”

Please return to this site later for more on this developing story.

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