Horrified Florida residents woke up to find anti-Semitic leaflets in their yards blaming Jews for the pandemic.
Photos released by the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office show small bags with anti-Semitic rhetoric inside, as well as small, unknown pellet-like items.
According to deputies, more than 100 packages were distributed in Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County sometime between Sunday evening and Monday morning.
“I’ve lived here in this house for almost 40 years and nothing like this has ever happened,” said one resident, who expressed shock and outrage at the packages.
The bags are the latest anti-Semitic incident in the Sunshine State, which featured a Nazi rally in Jacksonville on Sunday and one outside Disney World on Saturday.
Photos released by the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office show small bags labeled anti-Jewish rhetoric with small, unknown pellet-like objects inside
Several groups of alleged neo-Nazis were spotted marching through Orlando-area parks on Saturday, with one group even ending up at the gates of Walt Disney World
The local sheriff’s office posted photos and details on its Facebook page Monday morning after receiving calls alerting people to the packages.
“This morning, the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office received calls from concerned citizens about packages containing anti-Semitic literature being found in their yards,” the post said.
It goes on to say that the packages were probably distributed overnight.
In the two photos shared by law enforcement, a gloved hand can be seen holding a clear snack bag containing a flyer.
At the top of the flyer, next to a Star of David and a pentagram, there is a label that reads: “EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF THE COVID AGENDA IS JEWISH.”
Directly below the message is a list of names of Jewish people the distributor blames for the coronavirus pandemic, along with their titles and the sect of religion they belong to.
These include names like CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, CDC Chief Medical Officer Mitchell Wolfe and HHS Assistant Health Secretary Rachel Levine.
Levine is also identified as “transgender” on the list of names, which appears next to a QR code that reads “Jews celebrate their role in COVID.”
At the bottom of the flyer is a disclaimer for anyone who received the package: “These flyers were distributed indiscriminately and without malicious intent.”
At the bottom of the flyer is a disclaimer for anyone who received the package: “These flyers were distributed randomly and without any malicious intent.”
Members of the neo-Nazi group Order of The Black Sun protest at the entrance to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, in support of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
It’s unclear what substance was in the packages, but sheriff’s officials warned residents not to touch the items with their hands.
“If you find a package, it is recommended that you pick it up using a plastic bag or gloves and throw it away,” they wrote.
They also asked homeowners not to open and throw away the packages.
On its website, the group responsible provides instructions for anyone who would like to join their cause and distribute their own packages.
They encourage supporters to drop fliers into Ziploc bags and use items like rice or corn to weigh down the bags. They also suggest distributing at night.
The packages shocked residents and community members, who called the incident — and other similar recent anti-Semitic incidents — “cowardly acts of hate.”
“They are un-American and only reinforce our core belief that this country should be a rich mosaic of cultures, religions and beliefs,” said Rabbi Andrew Rosenkranz.
“What’s wrong with people!” One person wrote on the sheriff’s post.
“Today it’s kitty litter and stupid propaganda flyers,” resident Brittany Smith told WPTV.
“What if next time it’s firebombs or something?” “What are these people going to do when they know we’re not listening to this,” Smith said.
Over Labor Day weekend, several groups of avowed neo-Nazis staged marches, one group even ending at the gates of Walt Disney World.
Videos on social media showed the groups – known as the “Blood Tribe” and “The Goyim Defense League” – taking to the streets at Cranes Roost Park in Altamonte Spring.
The demonstrators, captured on video by State Representative Anna V. Eskamani, gave the Nazi salute and chanted “We are everywhere.”
It came just days after racist mass shooter Ryan Palmer killed three Black people at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville. Palmer entered the store armed with two firearms, including an AR-15 rifle decorated with swastikas.
The Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism issued a statement Friday warning that the gatherings would take place sometime in September.
They said they “expect the group will likely hold multiple demonstrations in highly visible locations – such as a sports or entertainment venue, a highway overpass, a government building, or in front of an LGBTQ+ venue or Jewish institution – to maximize publicity.” To attract as much media attention as possible.’
Neo-Nazis protest outside Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida on Saturday
The group of neo-Nazis protesting outside Disney World belonged to a newly formed hate group called the Order of the Black Sun and staged their first protest back in mid-June
It came on the same day that the Order of the Black Sun, a separate group of far-right supporters – who claimed to be affiliated with the Aryan Freedom Network – raised Nazi flags at the gates of Disney World.
The protesters supposedly supporting DeSantis pulled a similar stunt outside Disney in mid-June.
ADL researcher Ben Popp told local media that the group – also known as “OBS” – is a white supremacist network that was founded only months ago and that the demonstration outside the children’s theme park was the first .
Popp said the hate group was “well known” to the ADL and consisted of individuals who “have been involved in other white supremacist groups and organizations in the state of Florida in recent years.”