The U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Anti-Defamation League have announced a partnership to “combat hate” in wake of the violent protests in Virginia last weekend.
“We’re announcing a partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, The Mayors’ Compact,” Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of ADL, said on a conference call with reporters. “Through this partnership we hope mayors will be able to take advantage of our expertise at the ADL.”
The compact was inspired after the violent events in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend that resulted in the death of an anti-racism protester. White supremacists clashed with counterprotesters in the city over the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Mr. Greenblatt said the ADL is “in the business of hate” and the group tracks hate groups throughout the country. Through the partnership, the ADL will provide mayors with access to their database and training educators and law enforcement.
“This Mayors’ Compact as 10 components,” said Steve Adler, mayor of Austin, Texas. “It’s denouncing all acts of hate wherever they occur, whether it’s Charlottesville or Barcelona.”
Mr. Adler said the 10 components include: investigating domestic terrorism, supporting targeted communities and celebrating diversity.
“We all have to speak with absolute moral clarity on this issue, and so we need to be clear in this country that this is a time of choosing,” said Mitch Landrieu, mayor of New Orleans and current president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
More than 200 mayors have joined the compact including those from New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Mayors declined to say whether they would call for all Confederate monuments to be taken down, instead referring to those in each community to make that decision for themselves.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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