In recent weeks, hundreds of White Lives Matter stickers have been placed on street signs, local art installations and private property around Great Falls. Vandals have also sprayed graffiti with neo-nazi images. City officials are investigating who’s responsible and local groups are organizing a clean-up effort.
Jasmine Taylor is a local organizer who’s been working to take down vandalism as she finds it. She’s put together a community clean up day this weekend.
“So those that feel unsafe and targeted and threatened know that we're going to stand up with them, that we are not going to let anyone be bullied or threatened in our city,” Taylor said.
The Montana Human Rights Network recognizes White Lives Matter as a neo-nazi organization. It has been designated as a hate group based on white supremacy by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Volunteers in Great Falls plan to take down graffiti and then create chalk art with inclusive messaging.
Reverend Stephen Underwood leads the Central Christian Church in town and sits on the board of the LGBTQ+ Center, one of the organizations involved in the clean up.
“The same groups that are particularly targeting people of color and Jewish folks, they're also targeting the LGBTQ community,” Underwood said.
Great Falls Mayor Bob Kelly said the vandalism is coming from a small group of people that don’t represent the majority of the community.
In a city commission meeting Tuesday, Kelly and City Commissioner Eric Hinebach openly condemned the vandalism. Hinebach said he was in contact with the chief of police and other officials to investigate the activity.
“We’re working actively to try to get some information on these people that are defacing public property and business property and it will not be tolerated in Great Falls, Montana,” Hinebach said.
Reverend Underwood said it is important to counteract messages of hate.
“Those voices are small and loud and we are going to drown them out with the voice of love,” Underwood said.
