DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Dubuque residents have gathered in solidarity at the site of a cross burning that occurred in the city last week.
The Telegraph Herald (http://bit.ly/23SpCic ) reports that about 200 participants tied small strips of fabric together Sunday to show a physical sign of unity in the wake of the incident. They prayed and sang as they held the tied strips in a wide circle.
"It's pretty cool," said Andrew Rutzebeck, a Dubuque resident. "It's a good thing that everybody gets together to fight against what needs to be fought."
Police are investigating the two burnt crosses found last week as a hate crime. They say they've reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI for assistance.
Police Chief Mark Dalsing says that the incident was the first cross burning in the city limits in about two decades. At least 14 cross burnings occurred in Dubuque from 1988 to 1993.
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Peosta, Iowa, resident Caprice Jones heard about the event at his church and decided to participate.
"I come from Chicago, where there's a saying, 'To be aware is to be alive; to stand still is to die,'" Jones said. "I'm aware something is wrong, and I refuse to stand still."
A spokesman for the Dubuque branch of the NAACP, Howard Lee III, said he was impressed by the event's turnout, but that there's work to be done to fight racism in Dubuque.
"Unity is still there, but there's still a lot of deeper pieces that need to be addressed," Lee said. "But if you equate it to football, this (event) would be a good kickoff."
One of the event's organizers, Rev. Robert Hoch of University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, said he expects Sunday's message to resonate in the community.
"I hope Dubuque rises to its true self and claims the streets for peace," he said.
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Information from: Telegraph Herald, http://www.thonline.com
