White supremacist propaganda activity skyrockets in New Jersey

A new report finds White supremacist propaganda distribution in New Jersey has skyrocketed over the past year.

The Anti-Defamation League of New Jersey and New York counted 41 propaganda incidents in New Jersey 2018 and 141 incidents last year.

Nationally, there were 2,713 pieces of white supremacist propaganda distributed in 2019, compared with 1,214 in 2018.

The ADL found that white supremacists targeted 433 college campuses in 43 states last year, including eight campuses in New Jersey.

According to the report, every state except Hawaii reported at least one incident of white supremacist propaganda, with the highest activity reported in California, Texas, New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey.

“That means there are, of course, efforts by these groups to elevate their profile, to recruit new membership and to send the message out to society that they’re still there, said Alex Rosemberg, director of community affairs for the local chapter of the ADL.

Rosemberg noted while white supremacist propaganda has increased, flash demonstrations and banner-drops have dropped by about 30%.

Three main groups are responsible for most white supremacist activity in the Garden State: The New Jersey European Heritage Association; American Identity, which recently went by the name Identity Europa; and the Patriot Front.

Additional groups active in New Jersey include Feuerkrieg Division, the Daily Stormer Book Club, the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, and the Base.

Rosemberg said that a lot of their propaganda focuses on what is referred to as the danger of white genocide.

“Meaning minority groups in America are going to become the majority and therefore white Anglo Saxons of European descent are going to lose their footing and power," he said.

He said this kind of propaganda is concerning because “these ideologies, if unchecked by society, if allowed to flourish, might lead to the things that we have been seeing: attacks on schools and houses of worship.”

“Everybody should be concerned,” he said.

He stressed if you come across this kind of propaganda, in whatever form, don’t rip it down or tear it up.

“Preserve the evidence so that law enforcement can do their job in tracking who might have put this up. Call law enforcement immediately.”

He also suggested you notify the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness as well as the ADL.

You can contact reporter David Matthau at David.Matthau@townsquaremedia.com