Denver police have launched an investigation into a swastika symbol displayed since last week on Denver’s historic Austin Boulding along East Colfax Avenue, and leaders of the Anti-Defamation League are urging metro residents to take a stand against it.
The swastika is visible above a window near the top of the building about 10 blocks east of the state capitol and across the street from a city recreation center.
The Denver Police Department first learned of the swastika on Jan. 23, and the investigation by the Bias-Motivated Crimes Unit is in progress, Sgt. Jay Casillas said.
A young woman protested on Sunday afternoon, standing in front of the building, at 1472 Josephine St., holding a sign that read: “Fascists not welcome here.”
The ADL has received nearly a dozen complaints. ADL officials notified Denver Police and the City Council, ADL Mountain States senior associate regional director Jeremy Shaver said.
“In many cases, a swastika like this could be considered protected speech. The question is who owns the space? Is it being rented? Are there any prohibitions on displays in windows?” Shaver said.
Monday was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marking the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Germany.
“What can be done about it? The community — all of us — can extend our voices to call out the hate, call out that hate symbol, and say it is not welcome in our community,” Shaver said.
History Colorado lists the Austin Building, built in 1904, as an example of business development along East Colfax Avenue — residential apartments over storefront retail space constructed to take advantage of the location along streetcar lines.
“On any day and especially today, Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is very alarming to see that symbol displayed so prominently,” Shaver said. “It is something we have to stand against.”
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