Antisemitic flyers distributed in Colleyville a month after hostage crisis, police say
Antisemitic and white separatist materials were distributed to Colleyville homes Saturday night, a month after four people were held hostage in the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue.
Flyers were distributed in clear sandwich bags to driveways around the city overnight, according to the Colleyville Police Department Twitter account. Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime and have notified the FBI.
Police asked anyone with information or video of the flyers being distributed to call (817) 743-4522.
Similar flyers have shown up in January in San Francisco, Miami and Denver, the account pointed out.
Most of those flyers included antisemitic and anti-vaccine messaging, with most claiming that “every single aspect of the COVID agenda is Jewish,” according to NBC. Listed on these flyers were government officials who have roles in managing the COVID-19 pandemic and who the flyers say are Jewish.
The flyers appear to be from a loose network of individuals that engages in antisemitic stunts to harass Jews, according to the Anti-Defamation League Mountain States Region. They work alone and in small cliques and occasionally travel across the country to work together in larger teams.
The flyers in other cities were found a week after the hostage situation at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, and the material found in the city on Sunday comes a day before the Colleyville Ministerial Alliance hosts “A Celebration of Faith & Community” event.
It’s unclear how many flyers were found by Colleyville police. Photos posted on social media showed they contained the same messages as the flyers that have shown up across the country.
Police spokespersons could not be immediately reached for comment.
In a statement on Facebook, Colleyville Mayor Richard Newton wrote, “I am saddened that individuals chose to bring this intolerance to Colleyville. These viewpoints do not reflect those I find in our community members. Our citizens have consistently chosen to love and support one another, no matter their religious beliefs or heritage. The City unequivocally denounces hate in any form — it has no place in our city.”
This story was originally published February 20, 2022 at 1:44 PM.
