NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Antisemitic flyers that have been showing up at several South Florida neighborhoods have now been found in Northeast Miami-Dade and Parkland, authorities said, drawing concern among residents.
Speaking with 7News on Wednesday, Parkland resident Paul Stuart said he’s perplexed by the messages of hate.
“There’s just no reason for it whatsoever,” he said.
Stuart, who isn’t Jewish, said he cannot make sense of the flyers.
“I just don’t get it. I couldn’t make heads or tails out of it,” he said. I didn’t even bother looking really at it, so I just figured it was some kind of stupid advertisement and threw it away.”
Officials with the Broward Sheriff’s Office Threat Management Unit said people started finding the flyers on Tuesday.
Investigators said a woman told them the pamphlets reference gun control and immigration, while showing faces of prominent people with the Star of David on their foreheads.
The woman added that the flyers came with a baggie filled with corn kernels.
“This type of hate speech is hurtful, it’s harmful, it’s intolerant,” said BSO spokesperson Carey Codd.
Detectives found similar hate speech directed at people of the Jewish faith at homes in Northeast Miami-Dade.
“Right by my driveway on the sidewalk there was a little zip-lock bag with a flyer inside,” said a woman.
The woman, who asked not to be identified, said she would have never imagined to find a bag full of hate on the steps from her front door on Tuesday.
“The first thing I saw was pictures of congressmen with Jewish stars on their foreheads,” said the woman.
Seeing the flyer was especially painful for her because her father was a Holocaust survivor.
The woman said she called police and the Anti-Defemation League immediately after she saw the flyer outside her home. She hopes others will do the same.
This isn’t the first time flyers like these have been found across South Florida. Recently, anti-Jewish printouts have been left at homes in Coral Gables and Miami, also with corn kernels inside.
“This is really hateful,” said Coral Gables resident Richard Amundsen.
7News on Wednesday spoke to the group Stop Antisemitism, who are condemning Goyim Defense League. Members of Stop Antisemitism said that the Goyim Defense League is behind the distributing of the flyers across South Florida.
Stop Antisemitism issued a statement that reads in part, “The misinformation spread by these bigots is dangerous and has led to physical violence against Jews.”
Liora Rez, the group’s executive director, spoke with 7News over Zoom.
“We’re horrified. We’ve been tracking this group for the past four years,” she said. “We are just absolutely sick of it, as many residents of South Florida are, and it’s time that law enforcement put a stop to it.”
Rez condemned the flyers and said she wants more to be done about it.
“This is considered a targeted harassment hate crime aimed at Jewish people,” she said. “That needs to be prosecuted at the fullest extent of the law.”
“Propaganda in numbers is harmful and our response to it has to be in numbers as well,” said the Northeast Miami-Dade resident.
However, several South Florida Police agencies told 7News that, to date, no crime has been committed.
“What can you say about somebody like that?” said Stuart. “If you hate somebody, you need to understand why. There’s no reason to hate Jewish people.”
It may not be a crime, but BSO investigators are asking, if anyone has video of someone passing the flyers out or any other information, to give them a call.
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