Rep. Watson Coleman Statement Following White Supremacist Protests

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman issued the following statement condemning violence that occured in Charlottesville, Virginia following protests by white supremacists:

The hatred on display in Charlottesville is disgusting, and a stark reminder that racism and bigotry is alive and well to this day. Unfortunately, this is not a surprise for millions of Americans who not only suffer daily at the hands discrimination, but have also witnessed increases in hate speech and hate crimes over the past year corresponding with the political rise of Donald Trump.

What is taking place in Charlottesville is nothing short of terrorism; we as a nation must take all threats against the homeland seriously, whether foreign or domestic. As a Vice Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee and a member of the the House Oversight Committee, I have been closely working with my colleagues to draw attention to the rise of domestic terrorist treats posed by white nationalists and right wing extremists. Our efforts have been constantly rebuffed by Republicans in Congress and replaced by myopic focus on Islamic terror threats. We ignore the threats from right wing extremists at our peril.

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