COMMUNITY leaders gather to protest white supremacist's move

<br>PHOENIX (AP) _ Community leaders gathered Friday at the state Capitol to protest a white supremacist's possible move to Arizona. <br><br>Dennis Mahon, leader of the White Aryan Resistance, told

Saturday, July 7th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

PHOENIX (AP) _ Community leaders gathered Friday at the state Capitol to protest a white supremacist's possible move to Arizona.

Dennis Mahon, leader of the White Aryan Resistance, told The Arizona Republic in May that he would move from Tulsa, Okla., to Kingman in northwestern Arizona.

Mahon said he believes Kingman, where Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh once lived, is fertile ground for recruiting members to his group.

``This is deeply unsettling,'' said Rory Gilbert, director for Arizona's National Conference for Community and Justice. ``At first we were wary about giving him publicity in this, but silence is complicity. Our focus is that our kids need to know that this is not what Arizona is about.''

Leaders from Arizona's Catholic and Jewish communities joined anti-hate groups in speaking out against Mahon.

``We need to let Dennis Mahon know that he picked the wrong state,'' said the Rev. Oscar Tillman of the Arizona NAACP. ``We will come together and we will fight you Dennis. So take your hate someplace else.''

A representative for Gov. Jane Hull announced that Aug. 12 would be ``Not in My State'' day in Arizona.

Community members will be encouraged to wear a green ribbon to show unity against Mahon's group.