Nearly 200 people turned out last night for a community forum on racism in Brattleboro, where the discovery of a racist group and the arrest of a teenager on hate crime charges has shaken people up.

Teachers, police officers, community leaders and many members of the biracial community turned out for the meeting at Brattleboro Union High School, some saying they're angry but not surprised by the recent activity.

The event sought to gauge community sentiment on how the recent incidents had affected people, and what should be done about racism in the community.

Parents of some children said their kids had been harassed because of their skin color.

Several people, including the mothers of biracial students or children of color, said they were relieved to see the large turnout of support. But others said talking to like-minded people would not solve the problem.