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What does hate look like in Colorado?

While white nationalists couldn't manage a rally in D.C. this weekend like the one last year in Charlottesville, they do have a new approach to getting attention in Colorado.
Kyle Clark and Scott Levin with the Anti-Defamation League Denver chapter

DENVER — White nationalists gathered in Washington D.C. over the weekend to mark the first anniversary of the chaotic Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., where one opposing activist died.

An attempt at a repeat in Washington D.C. this weekend couldn't compare. Fewer than 20 white nationalists showed because the groups that rallied last year are not unified - that being one reason there hasn't been a similar rally in Colorado.

"Charlottesville was a fairly unique situation a year ago when 500 to 600 people for very disparate and different white supremacist and alt-right groups came together. It's very rare that you'd have different groups come together at one time," says Scott Levin, the head of the Anti-Defamation League’s Denver chapter.

That does not mean hate groups are not in Colorado. Here, they have mostly shown their presence through graffiti, anonymous threats and flyer handouts. According to data from the ADL, white nationalist propaganda has been handed out in Colorado about two dozen separate times in 2018 - eight of those incidents happened on college campuses.

  • Colorado State University, Fort Collins
  • Arapahoe Community College, Littleton
  • Front Range Community College, Westminster
  • The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
  • Red Rocks Community College, Lakewood
  • The University of Colorado at Boulder
  • The University of Northern Colorado, Greeley
  • Community College of Denver, Auraria Campus, Denver

"I think the thought is, though, that there's a lot of people on college campuses that don't always fit in," says Levin. "They aren't in the privileged class. They aren't the people that have the money or means, and they themselves may be disaffected and looking for a place to get their identity," Levin says, adding college campuses are often a place to openly share ideas, no matter how extreme they might be.

In our full interview, Levin and Next anchor Kyle Clark discuss how much - if any - attention these groups should get. You can see that below.

Also, take a few minutes to check out ADL's HEAT Map, which tracks hate incidents in Colorado and throughout the country.

WATCH (Click here if video does not appear):

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