Signs depicting “hateful, discriminatory” messages referencing Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris were posted to different bus stops around Denver, Colorado, overnight Thursday, according to the state’s Regional Transportation District (RTD).
One sign made claims about perceived preferential treatment of migrants and referenced Jim Crow-era segregation of Black Americans.
“Blacks must sit at the back of the bus. Kamala’s migrants sit in the front,” it read, as seen in images published by ABC affiliate KMGH.
The Denver Police Department (DPD) is investigating the incident as a bias-motivated crime and is “collecting evidence with the goal of holding the perpetrator accountable,” it told ABC News in an emailed statement.
A bus operator reported a sign around 5 a.m. Thursday, according to the RTD. The metal sign was attached to the bus stop’s pole with rivets and may have been installed shortly before it was reported.
Similar signs are reported to have appeared at a Chicago Transit Authority bus stop (around 1,000 miles away from Denver) as well, the RTD said in a statement. It is connecting with other transit agencies to assess the potential for a coordinated activity.
RTD is working with local authorities, including Denver police and Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI), to investigate the signs placed at several bus stops, and authorities are looking for any additional signs.
One local who claims to be a Republican activist has claimed to be the person responsible for the signs.
Gov. Jared Polis denounced the signage in a post to social platform X, saying “there is no room for hate in our state.”
“These horrible and racist images — funded by unknown groups — are meant to stoke fear and hate in our communities,” the post read.
“I thank Denver Police for working quickly to end the defacement of public property and thank our Department of Public Safety for reaching out to Denver Police to assist. Coloradans reject this hate-fueled rhetoric and we won’t tolerate it — our fight to build a Colorado for All continues.”
RTD mirrored Polis’ sentiment in an emailed statement condemning the signage.
“There is no place for racism or discrimination at RTD or within the communities we serve,” the agency said. “The signs do not reflect the organization’s adopted values or promote a welcoming transit environment for all, nor should such vile messaging be tolerated or supported by anyone.”
