ADL Report Details Antisemitic Activity In Somerville

SOMERVILLE, MA — There have been four incidents of antisemitism or white nationalism in Somerville over the last year, according to a new data from the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL on Tuesday released its 2019 report on antisemitic incidents in Massachusetts, which documented 114 incidents across 61 communities.

The most recent incident happened Feb. 20, when white nationalist group Patriot Front distributed propaganda with the phrases "Life liberty victory" and "America first." The group previously handed out propaganda in Somerville July 23.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Patriot Front formed after the violent "Unite the Right" rallies in Charlottesville, VA in 2017 as an offshoot of the neo-Nazi group Vanguard America.

Patriot Front has been documented putting up posters or handing out fliers across the U.S. since 2017, from Seattle to New York City. The group promotes an idea of America as a country for whites-only, according to the SPLC.

The following incidents were reported in Somerville:

White Supremacist Propaganda

2/20/2020

Patriot Front, an alt right group, distributed propaganda that read: "Life liberty victory" and "America first."

Anti-Semitic Incident - Vandalism

02/2020

The white supremacist and anti-Semitic symbol, 1488, was spray-painted on a sign at a residential construction zone.

Anti-Semitic Incident - Harassment

08/2019

A Jewish woman discovered that she was a target of the white supremacist blog Vanguard News Network.

White Supremacist Propaganda

7/23/2019

Patriot Front, an alt right group, distributed propaganda that read: "Money does not rule you," "Life liberty and the pursuit of victory," "Not stolen conquered," and "Reclaim America."

The ADL charted antisemitic incidents on its "H.E.A.T. Map." The number of incidents in 2019 dropped by 21 percent compared to 2018, according to the ADL — but overall incidents in recent years are up sharply from the 50 recorded in 2015.

"The alarming manifestations of antisemitism in 2019 instill fear and are stark reminders that much work remains to be done," ADL New England Director Robert Trestan said in a news release. "ADL is committed to focusing on confronting antisemitism through educational programs and resources, community outreach and law enforcement engagement."