Police investigating at least 50 anti-Semitic flyers in Watertown, South Dakota

WATERTOWN, S.D. — Police in Watertown are looking for info regarding anti-Semitic flyers distributed all through city this week, an act officers name “disgusting” and “unacceptable.”

On Monday, the Watertown Police Division

shared on their Fb web page

that they’ve been receiving experiences that residents have found anti-Semitic flyers hooked up to luggage on rice throughout town.

The flyers embrace altered pictures that depict varied politicians, executives and political journalists with Stars of David on their foreheads, accusing them of participating in scandalous habits. There isn’t any proof to corroborate any claims made by the flyers.

The Watertown Police Division has acquired roughly 50 experiences of residents receiving these flyers, in keeping with Captain Steve Rehorst, although it’s almost inconceivable to know what number of flyers had been disposed of with out residents making a report.

“Our thought on it’s that clearly that habits is unacceptable, and we don’t wish to give it momentum,” Rehorst stated. “We consider that something like that’s disgusting materials and unacceptable.”

Rehorst stated the flyers seem like part of a nationwide marketing campaign of hate, after flyers with related sentiments had been present in California throughout Passover. In line with the Smithsonian Journal,

consuming rice throughout Passover had been banned for Ashkenazi Jews

residing outdoors of Israel because the thirteenth century, till the Jewish Conservative motion relaxed the restriction in 2016.

Although Rehorst is fast to talk in opposition to the feelings shared by the flyers, he stated the suitable to free speech locations the Watertown Police Division in a little bit of a clumsy spot, because it doesn’t essentially fall below South Dakota’s hate crime statute.

The Legal professional Normal’s Workplace defines a hate crime

as one dedicated in opposition to an individual, property or society which is partly or wholly motivated by way of bias in opposition to a race, faith, incapacity, sexual orientation or ethnicity or nationwide origin.

“Primarily based on how the acts are taking place, there’s not sufficient to make it match these components [of a hate crime]. Sadly, a few of these issues — as a lot because it doesn’t match with the mainstream — are protected by the primary modification,” Rehorst stated. “A variety of occasions folks say issues and, sadly, typically there’s not lots we will do with freedom of speech and the First Modification.”

If police are in a position to observe down the person or people chargeable for the distribution of the flyers, Rehorst stated it’s doable authorities may pursue a littering cost.

“It’s completely unacceptable habits and actions which might be taking place,” Rehorst stated. “We’re going to do what we will to seek out who did it.”

South Dakota noticed 20 hate crimes in 2020,

in keeping with the Legal professional Normal’s annual report,

the identical quantity as 2019 and a lower from 27 in 2018.