ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Neighbors in west Orange County say flyers filled with antisemitic statements showed up in their front yards and driveways this weekend.
Pictures of the flyers shared with News 6 show the hateful rhetoric and disinformation regarding the Jewish people, blaming them for the slave trade and COVID-19 pandemic.
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Jared Meyers, who lives in the neighborhood near South Apopka Vineland Road, said his son found the print-out in his front yard placed inside a plastic Ziploc bag with dry corn kernels.
“He was like, ‘I saw it.’ I didn’t know what to make of it, so I brought it to you,” Meyers said.
Detectives at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office received a report Saturday that four people in a truck were driving through the neighborhood, distributing the flyers in the bags. Sheriff John Mina released a statement to News 6 saying in part in appears to be the work of a group that strives to spread hate, and it is not welcome in this community.
“When we pulled up to our home and we saw this filth in our own driveway, first of all, you ask, ‘Are you being targeted? Why is this happening in our neighborhood?’” Lou Pendas said.
Pendas said he also found a flyer on his property. He shared pictures from his security system that show a group of people in a truck as mentioned in the sheriff’s report.
“They had face coverings,” Pendas said. “That tells me that they know, they had full knowledge that this was nefarious.”
Pendas said he was outraged by the rhetoric.
“Looking at it, I thought, ‘This is part of a coordinated effort by a bigger organization or group of people, not just here in Orlando or Central Florida,’” Pendas said. “There is unfortunately a rise in extremism now that I think it’s up to all of us to try to stop, in whatever capacity or capability we all have.”
A report from the Anti-Defamation League demonstrates that rise in Florida, specifically antisemitic incidents, which increased from 127 to 190 — nearly 50% — between 2020 and 2021.
Commissioner Nicole Wilson represents District 1 in Orange County, which includes the area where the flyers were found. She said she was “disgusted” to hear about the messages, especially following several other recent antisemitic incidents in Orange County including messages projected onto downtown buildings on New Year’s Eve.
“Antisemitism must be called out in every single way, big and small,” said Wilson. “We can’t just be quiet about it. We can’t hope it goes away.”
When asked by News 6 what steps the county is taking and what can be done to stop this from happening, Wilson said her office has established a goal to make sure the county takes more formal steps to recognize Jewish holidays and remembrance days going forward.
You can read statements from other law enforcement officials, as well as county and faith leaders, below:
This is the work of a group that strives to spread hate and get attention for these acts. Hate and prejudice are not welcome in our community and the men and women of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office stand with our residents and visitors, united against hate in all its forms.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina
In the strongest possible terms as a community, we denounce the acts of antisemitism that took place on Saturday in the Windermere area of unincorporated Orange County. Our community stands for tolerance and inclusion, and we will not stand by in silence against any attempt to demonize the Jewish community. I have full confidence that the Orange County Sheriff’s Office will find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings
The staff and board of the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida are deeply concerned about the distribution of antisemitic flyers in our community. This is not the first time we have seen this here. These flyers use antisemitic stereotypes for political purposes. Such actions are intended to make one group feel unsafe and unwelcome, and this kind of hate speech attacks our community’s deeply held values of respect, diversity, and acceptance. People who receive these flyers should report them to the authorities, take to social media to express their disapproval, and help call out such untrue conspiracy myths if they hear them in their midst.
We know where such words can lead. Conspiracy myths and stereotypes like this were used in the Holocaust to turn communities against the Jews and others, and to justify violence against them. We want to thank our elected leaders, local organizations, media outlets, and others who speak out against this hate and respond swiftly with condemnation. The Holocaust Center will always respond to such actions by promoting education about the history and lessons of the Holocaust to build a just and caring community free of antisemitism and all forms of prejudice and bigotry, and we know that we cannot do it alone.
Talli Dippold, Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida