Faith Leaders Support Jewish community in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, After Antisemitic Commenters Hijack Meeting

Photo by Taylor Brandon

Two weeks after a series of online public commenters barraged a Wheat Ridge City Council meeting with antisemitic hate speech, it appeared the city’s next meeting might also be hijacked by unknown citizens spewing vitriol targeted at Jewish people.

At the Nov. 27 meeting, an online speaker began public comment with a three-minute rant expressing hatred for Americans who have dual citizenship with Israel.

However, with the next several names on the list failing to speak when called upon, the mood quickly changed as a series of Wheat Ridge faith leaders took to the microphone with messages of inclusion and love for the Jewish community, including the Rev. Whitney Dempsey, interim pastor at Wheat Ridge Presbyterian Church.

“It’s clear the anonymous online agenda of these bigots was not to advance any reasonable policy,” Dempsey said. “Their sole purpose was to incite hate, fear and violence. We believe there is no place for antisemitism in Wheat Ridge. We must learn from history, not repeat it.”

He said that those subjected to the words at the meeting were cared for.

“In a world struggling to find peace and show love, we are committed to demonstrating these values as a faith community and will not tolerate antisemitic language, actions or harassment,” Dempsey continued.

Jefferson Avenue United Methodist pastor John Atland shared a personal story of traveling to Israel with his daughter and visiting a Palestinian refugee camp. He said his heart was broken by what was going on in Gaza and he wanted to come and support the faith community in Wheat Ridge.

He then called upon the Wheat Ridge City Council to work with the city attorney to find a path forward that protects the First Amendment and sets boundaries around public displays of ideology that promote hate and fear.

The Rev. Becky Jones of St. James Episcopal Church said “I’d like to think” that words to the council will make a difference.

“But given the 24-hour onslaught from some of the shadowy corners of the internet, the task for people of goodwill and good hearts seems overwhelming,” Jones said.

Jones thanked the council for “showing courage in the face of their cowardice and having wisdom in the face of their foolishness.”

“Remember this,” she said. “We follow the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it, and it never will.”

While it appears the Wheat Ridge council meeting was the first in Colorado to experience an antisemitic takeover during public comment, other cities in the U.S. have been dealing with similar problems.

The Anti-Defamation League said it has been tracking the issue of “extremists and bigots” using public comment sessions at meetings, especially given an option to call in virtually, who push “antisemitic, white supremacist and anti-LGBTQ+ narratives.”

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said the issue is cause for alarm.

“Targeting civic spaces and harassment of community officials undermine and jeopardize our democratic foundations,” Greenblatt said. “These actions make such public spaces feel unsafe, keep public servants from doing their work and could prevent people from running for office.”

There’s nothing in the state’s open meetings law that requires public comment, according to Jeff Roberts, president of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.

“Boards, councils and commissions set their policies and rules for public comment, and it’s often required before the passage of ordinances,” Roberts said. “But once they decide to offer it, the rules can’t be operated in a viewpoint-restricted way and must be applied evenly to speakers.”

Dempsey called on Wheat Ridge council members to work with the city attorney to set boundaries around public comments promoting hate and fear. However, Jeremy Shafter, Senior Associate Regional Director of the ADL Mountain States, said it could be challenging to understand what the First Amendment does and doesn’t protect.

The ADL released a tool kit for public bodies, including city government and school boards, to help navigate this new landscape and guidance for law enforcement, which Alex Rose, public information officer for the Wheat Ridge Police Department, said was incredibly helpful for their investigation.

Rose confirmed the department is looking into the comments made but can’t comment on the investigation.

Shafter said one of the most important steps public bodies can take is to review public comment rules.

“Look at things that are allowable, such as setting consistent time limits for the total time allowed for each person’s remarks and any policies on how to address violations of those reasonable limits,” Shafter said.

Shafter added that they can consider how to address violent or harassing statements when they occur.

“You can denounce hateful speech in the moment without repeating it or giving it more weight like the Wheat Ridge council did when it reiterated a statement the council had already made about its positions around diversity and inclusion,” Shafter said.

The ADL also recommends public bodies reach out to affected communities and provide a safe space for individuals and groups to discuss what happened, its impact and what work can be done to promote learning and healing.

This story from the Jeffco Transcript, one of two dozen Denver-area publications from Colorado Community Media.