A meeting was held at the Sussex County Community College Health Sciences and Performing Arts Center in Newton, with organizers expecting around 30 people. Instead, the lobby was standing room only.
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Over the weekend, Colleen Murch and Adam Stolarsky's house was spray-painted with hateful messages and swastikas, as was a campaign sign for Congressman Josh Gottheimer on the front lawn.
They did not speak at the rally, but overcome with emotion, they welcomed the overwhelming support from Gottheimer, mayors and council members from Sussex County towns, students, religious and community leaders who all came together to denounce the bias incident.
The message to the couple and the culprits was that the county will stand up against hate.
"We need to take action against hate," student Dustin Knipp said. "We cannot let it continue. Children are not born to hate. They are taught to hate. And it's about time we changed the lesson...This is not Sussex County. This is not New Jersey. This is not America."
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So far, no arrests have been made.
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