Stickers promoting a white nationalist hate group recently discovered by a local mother and her son during a stroll in downtown Rifle have prompted calls for reform.
Rifle City Council on April 7 was asked by a number of residents and members of Colorado Trust, a statewide philanthropic foundation that promotes equity, to meet with community stakeholders to address what they consider to be growing racial issues within the city.
“I was grateful to (Rifle Police Chief Tommy Klein) for quickly addressing the issue by removing the vandalism and committing to careful vigilance in order to make sure subsequent instances are identified and removed,” Rifle resident and Colorado Mountain College assistant dean of instruction Marjorie Lear said during public comment. “But, honestly, I’ve had a stomach ache since that day, as I reflect on the fact that someone felt free to spread hate and racism within our community so openly.”