Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on August 10, 2020

City reaffirms commitment to 'advance values of equality and justice' in response to community concerns

Since the Sandy Backs the Blue flag wave on Aug. 4, more information has come to light about those in attendance and the group's alleged connection with the Proud Boys.

Backs the Blue co-organizer Dixie Bailey says that neither she nor the group invited either Alan Swinney or Andrew Duncomb to their events, but the men came of their own accord to a previous flag wave event after hearing about the Sandy effort.

According to a message sent to Bailey, Duncomb has also asserted that he is not a member of the Proud Boys, which he was linked to in earlier reporting.

It is unknown if Duncomb ever personally associated with the group but a post on the group's website dated May 10, 2017, portrayed him as the "Proud Boy of the Week."

Many in the community have shared concerns about any link between the Sandy Backs the Blue group and the Proud Boys, which is a group designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League as a "hate group."

Duncomb claims this association with the group is what contributed to him "being targeted and eventually stabbed in Portland on (July 25)."

Since the first rumblings of people associated with the Proud Boys surfaced in Sandy, the city and Sandy Police Department have been receiving calls and emails from concerned community members.

These communications led the city to release this statement on Aug. 5:

"The Sandy City Council has heard the concerns raised in our community about the recent presence of individuals who may be associated with groups espousing hatred, bigotry, and violence," the statement read. "Let there be no confusion on where the City stands: as stated in Council Resolution 2020-19, the City of Sandy condemns racism unequivocally, and supports building a community 'connected by a shared commitment to mutual respect, understanding, and dignity.' While everyone has the right to express themselves freely, we stated in our resolution that fighting racism is 'a responsibility incumbent upon all Americans.' That means we each have a duty to speak out and actively work to advance the values of equality and justice. We have done so, and we will continue to do so."

The post also included a copy of its recent resolution.

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Go here to read the rest:
Sandy Backs the Blue, Andrew Duncomb assert no association with Proud Boys - Pamplin Media Group

Category: Anti-Defamation League
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