Larson Statement Condemning White Supremacist Incident in Bristol

East Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement condemning a white supremacist incident that occurred in Bristol: 

“I’m proud to stand with and by the people of Bristol, who understand that whether in Bristol or any community in Connecticut or the United States of America, hate and the vitriol associated with it have no place,” said Larson. “I stand in solidarity with everyone who has spoken out and come together to condemn white supremacy. Unfortunately, the racist incident that occurred in Bristol is not an isolated or remote occurrence and cannot be ignored.  

“We have seen a rise in hate crimes and incidents of prejudice all across the country. Just this past weekend, the same day that we marked the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, three Black Americans lost their lives to a racially motivated shooting in Jacksonville, Florida,” Larson continued. “As Americans, diversity is our strength and what makes us great, yet extremist groups like the one that gathered in Bristol aim to divide us by giving racism and bigotry a platform right here in Connecticut –from social media pages to the street corners of our neighborhoods. 

“I lend my complete support to efforts by federal, state, and local law enforcement to fully investigate this matter and root out racist extremism and remain committed to pursuing both community and governmental efforts to address the rising threat of white supremacy,” Larson concluded.