Springfield, MO – Neighborhoods off East Sunshine in Springfield and Greene County woke up Sunday morning to antisemitic flyers placed on porches and driveways.
The flyers appear to be distributed by an online video platform known for streaming anti-Semitic content. Four versions of similar flyers blame Jewish people for abortion, child grooming at Disney, COVID-19, or the national news media.
Doorbell security footage shows people throwing Ziploc bags containing folded flyers and rice onto homeowners’ properties from cars. Harvey Hank first noticed the flyer when he went to water the flowers the next morning.
“I got a closer look at it the package with the rice in it and the statement and I was a little concerned about opening it because was there something in the package that would be harmful,” said Hank.
Some papers show national news and Disney executives with the Star of David photoshopped onto their foreheads.
The flyers seem to be a new version of similar papers distributed to homes in December 2021, focusing exclusively on COVID at the time. The City of Springfield and Greene County issued a joint statement in December following that incident, saying in part, “We strongly encourage those behind the distribution and sentiment to consider the error of their way and reflect on finding the better path of inclusion and loving their neighbor as themselves.”
Local law enforcement explained that while the distribution isn’t nice, it’s not necessarily illegal if it doesn’t rise to the level of vandalism or a hate crime. The local FBI office confirmed it knows about the flyers and will look into it.
“Find a different message,” said Hank. “Find a message of love, not hate. That’s the problem, we’re too divisive.”
KOLR 10 reached out to Temple Israel. The Jewish synagogue has not responded to comments at this time.
