Boulder, Colo., March 12, 2008 ... In response to the assault of a Hispanic Louisville man who was allegedly attacked because of his ethnicity, the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) Boulder Office today condemned bias-motivated violence and applauded the Boulder Police Department for its quick and responsive actions investigating the incident as a possible bias-motivated crime.

ADL Boulder Community Coordinator Amy M. Stein issued the following statement:

ADL applauds the quick and responsive work of the Boulder Police Department and strongly supports its ongoing commitment to fully investigate hate crimes. If Boulder officials find that this was a bias-motivated attack, we urge them to prosecute this crime to the full extent permitted under Colorado's hate crimes law and the City of Boulder's Bias-Motivated Crimes Ordinance.

In this nation of immigrants, we are incredibly disheartened to learn of another tragic instance where a victim is allegedly targeted because of his ethnicity. Hate crimes have an impact far beyond the individual victim of the crime. When a victim is chosen because of his or her ethnicity, other members of that group feel unsafe and unwelcome. Hate crimes resonate throughout the victim's community and threaten the safety and well-being of every member of that group.

ADL calls upon the Boulder community to speak out loudly against hate crimes and declare Boulder no place for hate.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.