Minnesota Saw A Significant Increase In White Supremacist Propaganda In 2019
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The distribution of white supremacist propaganda in Minnesota saw a significant increase last year, jumping more than 160%, according to a watchdog group.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) says that there were 63 incidents of white supremacist fliers, stickers and posters spotted in Minnesota in 2019. That's a considerable uptick from 2018, when just 24 incidents of white supremacist propaganda were recorded by the group.
The uptick in Minnesota is consistent with an increase in propaganda across the Midwest and the country, the ADL reports. Year over year, the region saw a 118% increase in white supremacist propaganda while the country saw a 123% increase.
White supremacist propaganda is often wrapped in the flag and veiled as patriotic, the ADL says. For instance, one flier found in Minnesota bore the message "Diversity Destroys Nations," portraying in red, white and blue the image of a factory burning.
The group behind that flier, the American Identity Movement (formerly known as Identity Evropa), is one of three groups responsible for the vast majority of white supremacist propaganda in the United States, the ADL says. The other two groups are Patriot Front and the New Jersey European Heritage Association.
David Goldenberg, the regional director for ADL Midwest, says that these groups use propaganda fliers and literature to spread their message while remaining anonymous and avoiding public backlash.
About The Anti-Defamation League
The ADL was founded in 1913 in response to discrimination against Jews. Today, it's an anti-hate organization that works to expose extremism and educate the public about bias and discrimination.