Community Leaders, Gov Gavin Newsom React To Antisemitic Flyers

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — As Beverly Hills police investigated a number of antisemitic flyers dropped in Beverly Hills, community leaders decried the now fourth similar occurrence in under a year.

The Beverly Hills Police Department investigated the overnight disbursement of about 25 flyers in the north end of the city that blame gun control on Jewish people, authorities said Sunday.

The flyers were left in an area north of Sunset Boulevard and west of Benedict Canyon Drive, according to Sgt. Scott Dibble of the Beverly Hills Police Department.

Dibble said the disbursement posed no "significant threat" and called the effort "very minimal."

Sunday marks the fourth time Beverly Hills residents have found similar flyers around their city within the year. Flyers donning antisemitic language landed in the area in late November, December and again in April.

READ MORE: Antisemitic Flyers Found In Beverly Hills For Third Time

"These disgusting and evil acts of blatant antisemitism and Jew hatred hits me to the very core and fiber of my being," Beverly Hills Mayor Lili Bosse said in a statement to Patch. "As a daughter of a survivor of the Auschwitz death camp, I will always bear witness and speak loudly without fear. While this is being described as Free Speech this is Hate Speech that is meant to divide us and intimidate us. We must stand united and stronger than ever. This is about humanity. I believe every religion, every culture and every race must drown out this hate that is evil darkness. We are stronger than hate. We will never be silenced. Hate will never win."

City Council in January addressed what at that time was two occurrences, mulling a number of noncriminal options and publicly condemning the behavior. The council decided to work with the Anti-Defamation League and Holocaust Museum L.A. to address such incidents going forward.

"Condemning it is useful, words matter. Condemning it, though, also doesn't feel like enough," then-Mayor Bob Wunderlich said in December.

SEE ALSO: City Council Addresses Antisemitic Flyers Found In Beverly Hills

The report comes just after seven activists with the anti-Jewish group Goyim Defense League draped signs on an overpass of the San Diego (405) Freeway in Los Angeles that read, "Kanye is right about the Jews" and "Honk if you know."

Several of the activists were photographed making "Heil Hitler" salutes on the overpass on Saturday. The sign is a reference to recent antisemitic statements made by rapper Ye — also known as Kanye West.

“This weekend’s public display of anti-Semitic hate is another wake-up call to all of us that we must remain vigilant to protect our values and freedoms as Californians,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “The former President gave a platform to extremists spewing hate speech and we continue to see the dangerous consequences – from the insurrection on January 6th to Nazi salutes and anti-Jewish signs over the 405 freeway here in California. Our state is committed to protecting our diverse communities and will continue to lead the fight against racial, ethnic, and religious hate wherever it rears its ugly head.”

Beverly Hills was not alone in receiving such flyers over the weekend, and other cities have become the site for similar flyer drops over the past year.

City News Service contributed to this report.