HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 5317
COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 5317
A RESOLUTION CONDEMNING WHITE NATIONALISM
AND SEDITIOUS ACTIVITIES AND EXTREMIST GROUPS.
PASSED: 8:0
REJECTED:
OPPOSED:
ABSENT:
CONSIDERED: January 20, 2021
RESOLUTION NO. 5317
A RESOLUTION CONDEMNING WHITE NATIONALISM AND
SEDITIOUS ACTIVITIES AND EXTREMIST GROUPS.
The City Council of the City of Eugene finds that:
A. The Mayor and City Council of the City of Eugene are proud to supportpolicies
and efforts that uphold our commitment to protect an individual’s ability to experience a safe,
welcoming and inclusive community in Eugene.
B. In alignment with City Council’s goal of creating a safe and welcomingcommunity,
we value human rights, peace, respect, inclusivity and equity, and recognize that we derive strength
from our diversity.
C. We acknowledge that scholars consistently define white nationalism as the
promotion of the idea that national identity should be built around white ethnicity, and that white
people should therefore maintain both a demographic majority and dominance of the nation's
culture and public life across the country.
D. We recognize that there has been a rise of white nationalist and white supremacist
groups in the United States and that the national political dialogue reflects this racial tension.
E. Our community is committed to a just and inclusive Republic. White nationalism
places the interests of white people over those of other racial groups, and is an ideology focused
on maintaining white political, economic, and demographic dominance, and it is at odds with our
vision for Eugene.
F. The Oregon Constitution states, "No law shall be passed restraining the free
expression of opinion, or restricting the right to speak, write, or print freely on any subject
whatsoever; but every person shall be responsible for the abuse of this right.” (Emphasis added.)
G. Free speech is a core principle of our American Republic and the democratic
institutions that underpin its existence. The agenda of white nationalist groups seeks to destabilize
the American Republic, use fear through threats and physical violence as a control tactic, divide
our community, and promote and ignite social animosities.
H. We understand that the City of Eugene exists on the occupied land of the Kalapuya
people and within the historical context of our nation and state. Marginalized communities have
experienced generational oppression and traumas related to the decisions made by people and
governments in both the past and present. White supremacy groups have a history of advocating
for the marginalization of communities of color through government policies. For example,
legislation starting with the Indian Removal Bill of 1830 made it the policy of the U.S. government
to begin the forcible removal, relocation and genocide of Native People. This included the original
people of our region, the Kalapuya. In more modern times, extreme racial prejudice towards
Japanese-Americans following Pearl Harbor, lead to government action that resulted in their forced
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relocation to incarceration camps with deplorable living conditions. Over this past year, the
President of the United States has insisted on referring to the virus that causes Covid-19 as the
“China virus” which has resulted in Americans of Asian descent being subjected to verbal assaults
and intimidation by others. The State of Oregon has a history of enacting racist policies that have
left lasting harm on communities of color, including entering the Union as a “whites-only” state
in 1859, refusing to ratify the 14th and 15th amendments to the United States Constitution, and
enacting black exclusion laws.The City of Eugene had de facto enforcement of its status as a
‘Sundown Town,’ an extended presence of the Ku Klux Klan, whites-only housing covenants, and
unequal access to government services, all of which led to gentrification and decimation and
demolition of historic communities of color.
I. We have seen an on-going surge of white nationalist activity and hostility here, in
our home, conjuring painful memories of our City's past and causing harm to current residents.
Today, members of white supremacy groups are gathering at our state’s and nation’s capitols
bearing symbols of hate and intimidation including nooses, signs and clothing with valorizations
of Nazi war crimes, and waving the Confederate battle flag. These individuals have carried and
wielded weapons including automatic rifles, knives, bats and pepper spray which they have used
against law enforcement officers who were carrying out their duties to protect. Video evidence
shows members of these groups savagely beating a Capitol police officer with poles on which they
had mounted the American flag. Members of these groups have engaged in acts of sedition by
violently entering these capitol buildings where elected legislators were conducting the American
people’s business. They did so in order to interfere with the legitimate functioning of our
th
government. On January 6 they stormedthe U.S. capitol to stop the longstanding process of the
peaceful transfer of political power from one presidential administration to another, and instead
install their illegitimate chosen leader as the de facto ruler of the United States. At least five people
died as result these actions.
J. The trauma inflicted on Black people, people of color, Muslim and Jewish people,
religious minorities, the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups by white supremacists
results in generational and psychological harm affecting health, educational, economic and social
outcomes.
K. The City of Eugene has a longstanding history and commitment of celebrating and
supporting people of all races, national origins, immigration and refugee statuses, religions,
gender, gender identities, sexual orientations, abilities, ages, and economic statuses. The City
Council has adopted Ordinances and Resolutions that demonstrate this commitment, including:
1. Human Rights Municipal Code provisions, EC 4.613 - 4.655 (adopted in
1971, with the most recent amendment adopted in 2014 which made it unlawful to
discriminate based on gender (Ord. 20523)).
2. Resolution 5073 (adopted 2012) in Support of a Statement of Principles for
Immigrant Integration.
3. Resolution 5142 (adopted in 2015) Declaring the Urgency of the Housing
and Homelessness Crisis.
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