Investigators are trying to figure out who posted racist flyers in Southington last week. The same leaflet was also spotted in Bristol. The leaflets follow a predictable, and disturbing pattern, which is becoming more prevalent in Connecticut, according to the Connecticut Anti-Defamation League, who tracks hate incidents in the state.
Imagine taking your dog for a morning walk, and throughout your neighborhood, leaflets are posted everywhere, warning of "globalist traitors," and urging white people to "take your country back."
Most often, the presence of such propaganda causes alarm, according to Andy Friedland, Assistant Director of the Connecticut Anti-Defamation League. He said residents may express concern that their community is being overrun by white supremacists when in fact the opposite may be true.
“We have a small state” said Friedland, “If there's one person who has a printer and has an internet connection, they can give off this appearance of there being a much larger and much scarier presence of white supremacists, when the reality might really be one man with a car and a printer.”
The leaflet states in bold letters “we founded this nation, why should we apologize for being who we are.” In smaller letters the leaflet claims that “globalist traitors are destroying your race and heritage through open borders, affirmative action, and Marxist political correctness.”
Friedland said his organization is all too familiar with the language in the leaflets.
"Usually when people start talking about 'globalists,' they start talking about Israel, they start talking about Jews -- it's something we've seen, unfortunately, too often”, Friedland said. The Connecticut ADL has seen this leaflet template before in other states. Racist organizations can modify the template online to localize the message.
For instance, the leaflets in Southington had an insignia - a map of Connecticut with a harpoon and a book with the words "White Whalers Club." Friedland suspects the reference is to Andrew Anglin, founder of the neo-nazi Daily Stormer website. “He has promoted the idea of Daily Stormer book clubs, so our best guess is that this is some, you know, reference to the [Hartford] Whalers and Connecticut, trying to get a local spin on this Andrew Anglin-inspired idea of book clubs,” said Friedland.
The town of Southington isn't sure who posted them or why, and police have no leads so far in the case. According to the ADL, pro-Nazi flyers were also found recently in Wilton, Norwalk, and Easton.
