WELLINGTON, Fla. — Residents in Palm Beach and Okeechobee counties woke up to antisemitic propaganda on their driveways and yards on Monday.
The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office said they started receiving calls early Monday morning from concerned residents who had packets of antisemitic flyers found in their yards.
Residents in the Emerald Forest, Sugar Pond Manor and Pinewood Manor developments in Wellington also woke up to a small bag with antisemitic flyers in their driveways.
"I've lived here almost 40 years in this house and nothing like this has ever happened before," a Wellington resident who preferred not to use her name told WPTV.
Anyone who saw anything suspicious that might lead deputies to those responsible should call the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office at 863-763-3117 or the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office at 800-458-TIPS.
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera said deputies collected the bags and no direct threats have been made at this time.
The group behind the flyers has a detailed guide on their website of instructions for distribution intended for their so-called, "paperboys."
It encourages supporters to throw fliers in Ziploc baggies weighed down with corn or rice in residential areas late at night and wear masks.
Anyone who finds a packet should not attempt to open it and should use a plastic bag or gloves to pick it up and throw it away immediately, deputies in Okeechobee County said.
Rabbi Andrew Rosenkranz of Temple Beth Torah in Wellington called these incidents "cowardly acts of hatred."
"They are un-American and only reinforce our core belief that this country is meant to be a rich mosaic of cultures, religions and beliefs," Rosenkranz said.
Temple Beth Torah will be ramping up security as Jewish holidays start in the next couple of weeks
"What we want to make sure is that when you enter into our synagogue it is not on your mind because you feel safe and you feel secure which is what we will always be working on," he said.
Siobhan Gallagher, who lives in Wellington, received a packet and walked around the neighborhood throwing the bags out.
"I literally don't feel comfortable in my home. I feel violated," she told WPTV's Joel Lopez.
"I don't know all the Jewish friends in this neighborhood. I know one in particular. That's why I was picking up the bags because I was like 'god if he sees this that would be so upsetting.' "
Wellington resident Brittany Smith told WPTV report Chris Gilmore she is outraged.
"Today it's cat litter and stupid propaganda flyers," Smith said. "What if next time it's firebombs or something like that? What will these people get up to when they know we're not listening to this."
Michael Imber, who is Jewish and received a package, called law enforcement.
"Did you feel intimidated?" WPTV reporter Joel Lopez asked.
"Yes, I'm Jewish. This is an insult to me," Imber said. "You're free to think the way you want to but when you drive up to my house and you dump this hatred on me, you crossed the line."
He pointed to House Bill 269, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April, which prohibits a person from intentionally dumping litter onto private property for the purpose of intimidating or threatening the owner, residents or guests.
In March, county commissioners passed an emergency ordinance prohibiting the unauthorized projections of signs onto buildings, structures and other places after the projection of a Nazi swastika on a downtown West Palm Beach building in January. Offenders will be fined.
In the past, West Palm Beach police have cited offenders for littering. Earlier this year, there were several incidents in the city.
"If you're expressing hate against one group, you're expressing hate against all of West Palm Beach," West Palm Beach police spokesman Mike Jachles said.
Based on the results of an investigation they can determine what charges they can pursue.
In Okeechobee County, deputies believe the packs were passed out sometime late Sunday evening or early Monday morning while people were asleep. Patrol units were able to start looking around the area and found over 100 packets that had been thrown into people's yards, according to the sheriff's office.
The plastic bags contained several papers of antisemitic propaganda, including a hard substance in the form of pellets, deputies said.
U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., issued the following statement on the flyers:
"I'm disgusted by the latest incident of antisemitic materials being left around Palm Beach County. We must speak out against bigotry whenever we see it, and I'll continue to use my platform to fight back against the scourge of antisemitism in our community. Hate has no place here."