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VIDEO: Tufts University Defaced by Swastikas and Racist Graffiti

An ugly outbreak of racist and white supremacist graffiti in Massachusetts. Medford Police and the Tufts University Police Department are looking for the culprits who defaced the town and campus with "many" swastikas, racist symbols and messages, reports CW56 and the Tufts Daily.

Watch WHDH's report AFTER THE JUMP ...

The messages were discovered [Sunday] morning at Bello Field, according to an email sent to the Tufts community Sunday evening. ... Medford police are working with area gang units in an attempt to identify the signs, many of which were very specific, according to Rudolph. Beyond swastikas and racial slurs, the tags included clovers and the words “Crew 28,” according to reporting by local affiliate FOX 25.

Tufts University student leader and LGBT activist Tabias Wilson describes the defacement as yet another form of "psycho-social terrorism" on campus at his Tumblr BlaQueerPOZitivity.

"For me personally, and for many Black folks at Tufts, it is paramount to recall that the Slave Quarters still stand just beyond the Cousens Gym Complex. For many us, hate speech and white supremacy are not new, but compounded and relived daily on campus."

Wilson is referring to the "Royall House" slave quarters described as the "only structure of its kind still standing in the northern United States," by the Tufts Magazine. "Much of Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus sits on what was once a six-hundred-acre [slave] plantation presided."

In related news: Oberlin College canceled all classes on March 4 after a month-long series of "racial, anti-Semitic and homophobic incidents" culminated in the report of one person seen on campus wearing a Ku Klux Klan-type hood.

Watch WHDH's report AFTER THE JUMP ...

Oberlin Cancels Classes Today After Racist and Anti-Gay Incidents

Very disturbing. Oberlin College canceled all classes today after a month-long series of "racial, anti-Semitic and homophobic incidents" culminated in the report of one person seen on campus today wearing a Ku Klux Klan-type hood. The sighting was near a "designated safe space" for black students, reports Raw Story.

The individual, clad in a robe and hood reminiscent of the racist group was spotted near the Afrikan Heritage House, a residential building described on the school website as "a designated safe space for residents and students of the African Diaspora."

Oberlin president Marvin Krislov and other administrators sent a campus-wide email Monday morning announcing that classes were canceled and encouraging students to attend a series of events including a teach-in at the building led by the school’s Africana Studies Department and a “demonstration of solidarity” gathering.

The Cleveland Plain-Dealer adds:

The student newspaper, the Oberlin Review, reports at least six incidents of vandalism last month involving hate speech. Incidents included replacing the word "black" with a racial slur on Black History Month posters, and drawings of swastikas. "Whites only" also was written above a water fountain in one building. A person reporting a robbery on Feb. 17 said the attacker used a racial slur before knocking the victim to the ground.

Oberlin College was founded in 1833. The highly selective liberal arts college has the distinction of being the first American institution of higher learning to Black students in 1825 and women two years later.

Thanks RYAN CANTY and MIKE ROGERS!

VIDEO: Alabama Teen Accused of Terrorist Plot to Kill Black Students

PHOTO: AP

Just another day in "post-racial" America ....

A 17-year-old self-described "white supremacist" has been accused of planning to use homemade explosives in a terrorist attack on Black students at an Alabama high school. Only one white student was targeted on the hit list ... and that was because he was believed to be gay.

Authorities believe that Derek Shrout was inspired by the horrific Connecticut school massacre to begin building homemade explosives, reports ABC News.

Shrout was arrested Friday after a teacher at Russell County High School found what appears to be the teen's journal and contacted authorities. Police said the journal contained plans to kill six students and one teacher with homemade grenades. Six of the seven individuals were black. In the journal, police say that Shrout thought the white male on his list was gay. "That's the reason the white male was on the list. It screams hate crime," Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor said.

Investigators say Shrout started writing in his journal just three days after a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14.

The journal was covered with "‘white power’, the F-word, and Nazi symbols,” a teacher told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. A search of Shrout’s home found dozens of small cans "all with holes drilled and containing pellets."

Shrout faces one charge of attempted assault. He was released Monday afternoon on a $75,000 bond. Watch WTVM's report AFTER THE JUMP ...

REPORT: Wisconsin Sikh Temple Shooter ID'd as White Supremacist

PHOTOS: REUTERS, JOURNAL SENTINEL

The man accused of killing six people in a shooting people at a Sikh place of worship in suburban Milwaukee has been identified as an Army veteran with ties to racist and white supremacist organizations.

Three people remain hospitalized in critical condition after Sunday's tragedy in Oak Creek. Dozens of worshipers were at the temple when the gunman began his rampage, which some authorities are describing a "domestic terrorist incident."

The gunman has been identified as Wade Michael Page, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinell. Page is described as a "skinhead" with links to the extremist Stormfront website.

The Southern Poverty Law Center reported Monday that Page was a frustrated neo-Nazi who had been the leader of a racist white-power band known as End Apathy. Heidi Beirich, director of the center's intelligence project, said her group had been tracking Page since 2000, when he tried to purchase goods from the National Alliance, a well-known hate group.

Also on Monday, a volunteer human-rights group called Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) found links between Page, his band and a white supremacist website called Stormfront. Jeffrey Imm, who heads R.E.A.L., said in an interview Monday that someone based in Milwaukee using the name "End Apathy" began posting on the website in February 2008. Additionally, appearances by Page's band were promoted on the Stormfront site, including a white supremacist gathering in March 2012 in Richmond, Va.

Page served in the military from 1992 to 1998 as "psychological operations specialist and "missile repairman", according to Reuters. "In June 1998 he was disciplined for being drunk on duty and had his rank reduced to specialist from sergeant. He was not eligible to re-enlist."

The Wisconsin shooting came barely two weeks after 12 people were killed and almost 60 injured in a mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. That happened during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises.

Sikhism is reportedly the fifth largest religion in the world and boasts approximately 500,000 observers. The sect originated in the Punjab area of Southwest Asia. There has been a marked increase in violence and hate crimes against Sikhs since September 11th, 2001, as many Sikh men have been mistaken for Muslim during the growing wave of anti-Muslim sentiment.

SAFRICA: Guilty Verdict in Murder of White Supremacist

Chris Mahlangu has been found guilty of murder in the slaying of Eugène Terre’Blanche, the notorious South African white supremacist hacked to death at his remote farm in April 2010. Mahlangu and a teen co-defendant were employed by Terre’Blanche and claimed they were sexually abused.

The court ruled the defendants had suffered physical abuse but were not sexually assaulted, reports Independent Online.

"Sodomy is such a personal intrusion, I can't believe [Mahlangu] would not have raised it immediately," Judge John Horn said. He called sodomy an attack on a person's dignity and said it was demeaning. "It is the equivalent to rape." [...]

Horn also rubbished Mahlangu's claim that he acted in self-defence. He said there was no evidence Terre'Blanche was killed due to his political views. The dispute was over wages.

Eighteen-year-old co-defendant Patrick Ndlovu was convicted of theft.

Defense attorneys previously said their clients claimed Terre'blance tried to sodomize them. The late white supremacist has been accused several times of forcing himself on younger men, most recently a teenage member of the AWB. Tere'blanche denied this.

Prosecutors revealed that  Terre'Blanche regularly withheld wages from farm employees. "Sometimes he would buy them beer and groceries and deduct it from their salaries," a prosecutor explained. Eyewitnesses reported seeing Terre'Blanche buying liquor with the two workers before taking them back to the farm where he was later bludgeoned to death.

Terre'Blanche lead the far right Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging and was a prominent figure during the years of the white minority apartheid regime. He was released from prison in 2004 after serving a sentence for the attempted murder of a black man.

You May Have Missed:
Report: Slain White Supremacist Abused Suspects
Report: Slain SA White Supremacist's "Gay Past" Revealed
"Gay Sex Orgy" Alleged in Murder of SA White Supremacist

UN Human Rights Chief Calls for Trayvon Martin Investigation

Not good. United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay has called for an "immediate investigation" into the circumstances surrounding the killing of Trayvon Martin, reports AFP.

The unarmed Black 17-year-old was gunned down by a self-appointed neighborhood watch captain outside Orlando in February. The shooter has not been arrested.

Pillay made the comments about the controversial Trayvon Martin case at a press conference in Barbados, as she wrapped up a three-day visit to the Caribbean island nation. As High Commissioner for Human Rights, I call for an immediate investigation," Pillay told reporters. "Justice must be done for the victim. It's not just this individual case. It calls into question the delivery of justice in all situations like this." [...]

Pillay expressed shock that George Zimmerman was not arrested right away, and expressed concern about Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, which allows the use of deadly force in situations where there is a belief of a threat. "The law should operate equally in respect of all violations. I will be awaiting an investigation and prosecution and trial and of course reparations for the victims concerned," Pillay said.

South African judge Pillay authored the United Nation's 2011 report on worldwide discrimination and violence against LGBTs. In June 2011, the UNHRC approved an historic resolution that condemned discrimination and violence against the LGBT community. The measure was sponsored by the United States, Colombia and South Africa. It was opposed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Russia, among others.

Meanwhile: A group of up to 20 neo-Nazis are patrolling the streets of Sanford, Florida where the teen was killed. "A representative for the Detroit-based National Socialist movement told the Miami New Times that his group ... are prepared to protect the 'white citizens in the area' in the event of race riots."

Some Background:
POLICE VIDEO: No Blood or Visible Injuries on Zimmerman
"No Confidence" Vote in Police Chief, NYC March
Trayvon Martin Told Girlfriend He Was Being Followed
FBI and Justice Dept to Investigate Trayvon Martin Shooting
Gunshots and Crying Heard in Trayvon Martin 911 Audio Tapes
Witnesses Heard Trayvon Martin Crying Before Fatal Gunshot
Islamic, African States Walk Out of UN Meeting on Gay Rights
UN Chief Urges African Leaders to Respect Gay Rights
Obama to UN: All Countries Must Respect LGBT Rights
Statement by the President on Historic UN  Vote
UN Passes Historic Anti-LGBT Discrimination Resolution

Brandon McInerney Sentenced to 21 Years for Lawrence King Murder

Seventeen-year-old Brandon McInerney has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for the execution-style shooting of his gay middle school classmate Lawrence King, reports the Ventura County Star.

"The convicted murderer sitting at the defense table did much more than simply kill our son," said King's father, Greg, as he read from a four-page victim's impact statement that castigated McInerney, his lawyers, the jurors, the school system and The Star, among others.

"He robbed us of one son and stole from his brother a lifetime of companionship, leaving him instead a lifetime of grieving. He subjected his own family to shame, guilt and profound level of remorse — emotions he has yet to display," Greg King said.

McInerney, 17, sat motionless as the back of his neck turned deep red. Just as he did throughout his nine-week trial, he showed little emotion as the judge sentenced him to 21 years behind bars for the use of a firearm and voluntary manslaughter. Though McInerney also pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, a plea agreement stated he would serve time only for the manslaughter and firearms charges. He is ineligible for parole and will not get credit for the nearly four years he has been in jail.

King also blasted the Hueneme Elementary School District, which operates the junior high school where the 15-year-old son was killed in front of dozens of classmates in February 2008. The father has previously blamed the school district for "encouraging" his son to "act gay."

Witnesses have testified that King's "feminine attire" and gender identity was upsetting some students and faculty at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard. The defense has portrayed  King as sexually "aggressive" and suggested that McInerney was "provoked."

Lawrence King was living in a group home at the time of the shooting. State child welfare authorities had previously removed him from the family home. King's parents filed suit against the school district after the murder ... accusing authorities of not enforcing the school dress code.

Rod 2.0's complete coverage on Lawrence King HERE.

Brandon McInerney Pleads to 21Yr Sentence for Lawrence King Murder

Seventeen-year-old Brandon McInerney has agreed to a plea deal for the murder of his gay middle school classmate, reports the Ventura County Star. McInerney has agreed to serve 21 years for the execution-style shooting of Lawrence King in 2008.

McInerney will serve 21 years in a mix of youth facilities and prison. McInerney pleaded guilty to second degree murder and voluntary manslaughter with use of weapon during a hearing that capped years of legal jousting and a previous nine-week case that ended in a mistrial when jurors were torn over the juvenile being tried as an adult.

The sentencing was set for Dec. 19. The judge stayed sentencing on the second degree murder trial, meaning the 21-year sentence was for the voluntary manslaughter charge only. He does not get credit for the time he already has served, and he will not get time off for good behavior. The plea spares McInerney going through another trial, where he faced a potential first- degree murder conviction and 50 years in prison.

Prosecutors were prepared to start their retrial and dropped the hate crime charges, adds the Los Angeles Times. In a series of post-trial interviews, a number of jurors took issue with the adult charges. None were convinced it was a hate crime.

Brandon McInerney shot his 15-year-old  classmate twice in the head at point-blank range in an Oxnard classroom in February 2008. More than 30 students witnessed the shooting. McInerney was 14-years-old at the time.

Witnesses have testified that King's "feminine attire" and gender identity was upsetting some students and faculty at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard. The defense has portrayed  King as sexually "aggressive" and suggested that McInerney was "provoked."

Twenty-one years? Well, at least that's an improvement over the 180-day sentence in a recent gay panic cases.

Rod 2.0's complete coverage on Lawrence King HERE.

McInerney Attorneys Claims Judge is Biased Against Defense and Gays

Some dramatic moments on Thursday as the Brandon McInerney murder trial closed for the day. The teen murder suspect's defense attorneys sought to have the judge disqualified, claiming that Ventura County Superior Court Judge Charles Campbell was biased against gays, lesbians and the defense team, reports the LA Times and Ventura County Star.

Thursday's motion was the third unsuccessful attempt the defense has made to get Campbell disqualified as the presiding judge. Last year, the defense tried to get Ventura County Senior Deputy District Attorney Maeve Fox removed as the prosecutor, as well.

Bramson gave a more than 15-minute impassioned argument Thursday, saying Campbell was biased, that he used the word "queer" to describe shooting victim Larry King, and that he essentially threatened the defense by saying the prosecution could out McInerney's mother, Kendra, as a lesbian. Bramson also said that Campbell knows she is a not a heterosexual and is biased against her, as well.

Bramson argued Campbell has scowled at the defense team, cut off defense lawyers and embarrassed them in front of the jury while he treats the prosecution with kid gloves.

Defense attorneys successfully delayed the trial for more than two years with motions and paperwork. As the trial comes to a close, the defense team is filling more motions ... and using illness as a pretext:

After Campbell denied the motion, Bramson asked that court be adjourned for the day because she was sick and needed to go the doctor. Campbell agreed. [Defense attorney Scott] Wippert was out sick with a migraine for the second time during the trial now in its seventh week.

McInerney was 14 when he shot his 15-year-old gay classmate Lawrence King  twice in the head at point-blank range in February 2008. Witnesses have testified that King's "feminine attire" and gender identity was upsetting some of the students and faculty at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard. The defense has portrayed Lawrence King as sexually "aggressive" and has repeatedly suggested that McInerney was "provoked."

McInerney is being tried as an adult for the murder. The state also alleges McInerney had close ties to white supremacists, which has led to a hate crime charge.

The trial was moved to Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley because of pretrial publicity in Ventura County. The trial is expected to resume today.

Rod 2.0's complete coverage on Lawrence King HERE.

VIDEO: Sexual and Physical Abuse Raised at Brandon McInerney Trial

More testimony at the Los Angeles trial of 17-year-old Brandon McInerney, who gunned down his gay classmate Lawrence King in front of up to 30 students. McInerney's half-brother testified on Wednesday that McInerney was sexually and physically abused as a child, reports the Ventura County Star.

Shortly after the 2008 fatal shooting of Larry King, James Bing said Brandon's father, Billy McInerney, started fuming that his son's cousin molested Brandon McInerney when he was a child.

Billy McInerney said he thought Brandon McInerney shot King because of the abuse, Bing testified.King had been wearing makeup and girls' boots to school and telling people he was gay while rumors were flying that King was flirting with McInerney.

"If something like that happens, it is going to scar him," Bing remembered his stepfather, Billy McInerney saying of the sexual abuse. ... Bing said his family kept the molestation secret from him for years, but it came out after the shooting. But he remembers the cousin was sent away for a long time after it allegedly happened, he said.

McInerney shot his 15-year-old classmate twice in the head at point-blank range in February 2008. McInerney is being tried as an adult for the murder. The state also alleges McInerney had close ties to white supremacists, which has led to a hate crime charge.

The defense has portrayed Lawrence King as sexually "aggressive" and suggests that McInerney was "provoked." Prosecutors are seeking to quash McInerney's "gay panic" defense. Previous witnesses have also testified that King's "feminine attire" and gender identity was upsetting some of the students and faculty at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard.

The half-brother testified earlier this week about rampant physical abuse in the home, as well as their father's crystal meth habit. Watch FOX LA's report AFTER THE JUMP ...