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Demand The Resignation of Portland Police Captain Mark Kruger, Nazi Sympathizer

This petition had 2,506 supporters

This past election showed us that anything is possible. The rise and resurgence of nationalism and fascism, deceit and trickery on the part of our political parties, and the very fragile nature of our democracy.

It's also shown us that the fight to defend that democracy is in our hands, in our streets, and in our communities. Let's start in our own backyards, right here, right now. All of the wars, unrest, strife, discrimination, hatred, oppression have been battles in the longstanding war between love and fear. This past November, fear won this round. But they won't win the war. Let's mobilize and make our communities places of love. Right here, right now.

Portland Police Captain Mark Kruger erected personal plaques to five fallen Nazi Soldiers in Rocky Butte park while employed by the Police Bureau. Kruger is known as a 'Nazi Sympathizer' by many, and for not having any tolerance "with political dissent from the left." Kruger has admitted to owning Nazi paraphernalia, and there are YouTube videos of him in Nazi military dress, things he chalks up to a passion for historical re-enactment. In fact that's him, posing in Nazi uniform above. Cuts a dashing figure, doesn't he?

This mustn't be as harmless as he would have us believe, or why would he have taken the plaques down after a friend (who accused both him and the city of a 'cover-up') told authorities about them, and hidden them away in the city attorney's office? The office refused to release them while Capt. Kruger was being investigated between 2002-2005 for using gratuitous force during anti-war protests,  and settled the disputes out of court without ever furnishing the plaques. Smells like a cover-up to me...

Indeed, an officer on the Police Review Board overseeing Kruger's case stated that given "Kruger's degree in history and extensive study of German history, Kruger should have known that memorializing "a Waffen SS member and the commander of a battalion responsible for a large-scale massacre of prisoners of war could alarm a member of the public familiar with these historical events."

That's right, these plaques memorialized an SS officer, and the commander of a regiment responsible for the murder of thousands of political prisoners. As part of a settlement in 2014, he had both his suspension for those plaques, and for the harassment of a female colleague scrubbed from his personal record. Hell of a hobby. Sounds totally harmless! Not.

So, are we going to allow people with divisive and backwards views like this oversee efforts to keep our communities safe and fair? How safe and fair can they be when protected by people who don't value the lives of those they serve equally? We in America have no room for that. It's a New Year. Out with the old hate and beliefs, in the with the new movement of love, unity, and respect. 

We the people of Portland demand newly-elected Mayor Ted Wheeler uphold the values of tolerance, equality, democracy, and love by forcing the resignation of Capt. Kruger and showing we have no room for beliefs like his in our communities, our hearts, our homes.

Add your name and let's get this done. 


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