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Governor Addresses Violence and Hate Against Minorities

Leaders in Washington are noting a recent uptick in acts of violence against minority and religious groups. Thursday, Governor Jay Inslee condemned acts of intolerance in the state during a news conference.

In the last month, Hindu temples in Bothell and Kent found hateful graffiti on their buildings, as did a school in Bothell near a Muslim temple. Violence against the lesbian, gay, and transgender community in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood is on the rise - up 14 percent from 2013 to 2014, according to the police department.

In Inslee’s address he said Hindus and Muslims contribute in many ways to the state. And he said it is disturbing to see these acts in Washington.

Inslee: “As a state we have long been leaders in the fights for civil rights for everyone. But there are still elements that act as agents of intolerance and hate, and we have got to stand up against them every day.”

His remarks can apply in Spokane, too. Last week the local NAACP president received a package that included death threats, and just a week earlier residents of a nearby town found KKK flyers on their driveways. Last month, a transgender woman was assaulted in a Spokane bakery. In response, Spokane’s Human Rights Commission is planning a public campaign.

Copyright 2015 Spokane Public Radio

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