White Supremacist Propaganda Widespread In Florida, Elsewhere

FLORIDA — White supremacists in Florida contributed to a record number of propaganda reports in 2020, according to a new report released last week by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center for Extremism.

Nationwide, white supremacist propaganda — defined as posters, flyers, and graffiti that are anti-Semitic, racist, and anti-LGBTQ+ — was recorded 5,125 times in 2020, according to the report, almost twice the number of incidents recorded in 2019.

The ADL recorded propaganda incidents in every U.S. state except Hawaii last year.

The highest number of incidents were reported in Texas, Washington, California, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Virginia and Pennsylvania, according to the report.

In Florida, 116 incidents of white supremacist propaganda were reported in 2020. Reports ranged across the state, from West Palm Beach to Tampa, from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando and St. Petersburg.

Two groups were responsible for a majority of the propaganda in Florida, the report said. Many of the items were distributed by Texas-based Patriot Front and the New Jersey European Heritage Association.

The ADL report describes the Patriot Front as a white supremacist group formed by disaffected members of another white supremacist group, Vanguard America, in September 2017, in the wake of the Unite the Right white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. A manifesto posted to the group’s website soon after it formed called for a “return to the traditions and virtues of our forefathers.” The manifesto also made clear that non-whites were not “Americans.”

The main reports of Patriot Front activity were the distribution of white supremacist propaganda and graffiti. Pieces read: "(((MEDIA)) is the virus," "Globalism is the virus," "Open borders is the virus," and "Multi cultural is the virus." Other handouts said, "Reclaim America," "America is not for sale," "One nation against invasion," and "Life liberty victory."

The New Jersey European Heritage Association is a small white supremacist group, the ADL said, that espouses racism, anti-Semitism and intolerance under the guise of “saving” white European peoples from purported imminent extinction.

Propaganda distributed by the NJEHA included pieces that said, "Antifa is Jewish militia," "Reclaim your nation reclaim your heritage," and items featuring the Star of David that read: "Wake up America your country has been subverted."

The remaining propaganda distributions — roughly 7 percent of the national total — were linked to a range of neo-Nazi groups including 14 First, Folks Front, National Alliance, and the now-defunct Moonkrieg division, in addition to white supremacist groups including the Hundred Handers and now-defunct American Identity Movement.

Despite a nationwide increase, the number of incidents reported on college campuses decreased, falling from 630 incidents in 2019 to 303 in 2020. This was likely due to coronavirus closures and restrictions, the report said.

The overall findings from the ADL report underscore a recent uptick in harassment and violence against Asian Americans since the coronavirus crisis was declared a pandemic in March 2020.

New data by Stop AAPI Hate reported 3,292 hate incidents against Asian Americans in 2020. After surveying more than 3,300 Asian Americans, researchers found that 68 percent had experienced verbal harassment between March 19, 2020, and February 2021. Eleven percent reported being physically assaulted.

Instances of Asian American hate originated in every U.S. state, the AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islander) report said. The highest number, however, was reported in California — nearly 45 percent of all reported hate incidents happened in the Golden State.

Behind California was New York with just under 15 percent of incidents and Washington state with 4 percent.

With 1.55 percent of total hate incidents, Florida also was among states with the most reported cases, ranking eighth.