‘It’s ignorance’: Antisemitic propaganda found in several Horry County neighborhoods
An antisemitic flyer contained in a plastic baggie filled with rice has been circulating nationwide across people’s lawns and has recently been found in several Horry County neighborhoods.
Police departments in Conway, Surfside Beach, Horry County and Briarcliffe have been made aware of the issue and have released statements to the public, asking residents with camera footage or any additional information to contact authorities.
One incident report from the Surfside Beach Police Department states that the plastic baggies found June 12 contained antisemitic propaganda stating that Jewish people were “the cause of the COVID agenda, Disney child grooming, and protecting ‘child-murdering pedophiles.’”
Briarcliffe Acres Police Chief Kyle Lamparter notified the Briarwood Homeowners Association in early June about plastic bags with similar paper flyers inside. That notice was sent June 14, just two days after the Surfside Beach incident.
Last week, the Conway Police Department reported several dozen bags with the same message found July 13, and released a statement on the incident.
“Officers did canvas neighborhoods and found several dozen bags containing the flyers,” the statement reads. “The Conway Police department is still investigating the incidents. Any resident who may have information or video footage is asked to call (843)248-1790.”
It’s unclear why certain neighborhoods were targeted, or if there was any reason why they were chosen over others.
Rabbi Doron Aizenman, a leader of the Chabad of Myrtle Beach synagogue, said he has never felt threatened or seen any cases of antisemitism in his 35 years living in Myrtle Beach. Aizenman said police departments and Horry County officials have always been favorable to the Jewish community.
“It’s ignorance,” Aizenman said about the flyers.
Because of the nature of the language used in the flyers, it calls into question whether the flyers are protected under the First Amendment right to free speech.
While the flyers express a hateful message, it is not considered a criminal activity because it does not pose an imminent danger of unlawful action. Hate speech is generally protected by the First Amendment unless it makes a direct threat.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2017 that “speech cannot be banned on the ground that it expresses ideas that offend.”
Kevin Wheeler, an FBI public information officer, said that the FBI is aware of the widespread circulation of these flyers.
“The FBI always encourages the public to report suspicious and criminal activity they observe to law enforcement,” he wrote in a statement. “When the FBI assesses violations of a federal crime, we must distinguish between constitutionally protected activities and illegal activities undertaken to further an ideological agenda.”
The Charleston Jewish Federation and the Anti-Defamation League recently started a new statewide resource for fighting antisemitism. The joint incident report is for anyone who sees suspicious activity or wishes to report an antisemitic act.
The Anti-Defamation League, which reports several types of hate crimes, recorded 11 incidents in 2021 of “white supremacist propaganda” in Horry County.