Antisemitic fliers distributed at San Marino, Pasadena homes at the start of Yom Kippur
Plastic bags containing fliers with antisemitic messages were left on driveways and in front of homes in San Marino and Pasadena at the start of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur on Tuesday night, according to authorities.
A San Marino resident noticed someone placed a flier on their driveway, and they reported the incident to police around 11 p.m. Fliers were left on several driveways throughout the San Gabriel Valley city, but the placement appears to be random and not targeted at any particular groups in the neighborhood, according to the San Marino Police Department.
The items were placed inside plastic bags with rocks and contained antisemitic messages and COVID-19 conspiracies. The fliers state that they were “distributed randomly without malicious intent,†police said in a Facebook post.
Filmmaker Ken Burns’ latest documentary series, ‘The U.S. and the Holocaust,’ draws parallels to the recent rise in American nationalism and antisemitism.
There were no reports of property damage or any other activities stemming from the incident. Police interviewed residents and some offered to share surveillance footage from their homes if they are able to spot any suspicious individuals or vehicles. Detectives will investigate the incident, but San Marino was not alone, because fliers were also found in the southern part of Pasadena, according to Lisa Derderian, a city spokesperson.
The fliers were found Wednesday morning and police said they have documented the addresses where they were left. Police said they will also increase patrols in the area.
“The City of Pasadena takes a zero-tolerance position against all forms of hate speech, which has no place in our city especially on the highest Jewish holiday of the year,†the city of Pasadena said in a written statement. “The distribution of [antisemitic] flyers goes against the values of our city and its residents. We recognize many are hurt by these disgusting acts and know Pasadena residents stand together and speak out against hatred in all forms.â€
Jeffrey Abrams, Los Angeles’ regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said the group behind these antisemitic acts is small, but growing.
“We know who these people are. They target predominantly Jewish communities and hide behind the First Amendment when they leaflet these neighborhoods,†Abrams told The Times. “Make no mistake, the purpose is to terrorize those communities.â€
While Abrams asked people not to share images of the antisemitic fliers on social media, he does encourage the media to report when these episodes take place.
“Antisemitism is alive and growing in our city,†Abrams said.
Antisemitic fliers were left on the front doors of homes in Beverly Hills in April, the morning after the first Passover Seder. The fliers began with the statement, “Every Single Aspect of The Ukraine-Russia War is Jewish,†and it was followed by a list of government officials.
A Virginia man who stormed the U.S. Capitol while wearing a “Camp Auschwitz†sweatshirt over a Nazi-themed shirt is to serve 75 days in prison.
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