Police Warning MA Residents Of Flyers With Hateful Messages

IPSWICH, MA — Police are warning Ipswich residents to keep an eye out for flyers with hateful messages linking to a neo-Nazi group after several have been found around the town, in the same week that antisemitic flyers sparked an investigation across Chatham.

The flyers in Ipswich appear to be an attempt to recruit members for the Nationalist Social Club - which is defined as a neo-Nazi group by the Anti-Defamation League, Ipswich Police Chief Paul Nikas and interim Town Manager Mary Gallivan said.

According to police, the flyers were found in several people's yards over the weekend inside plastic bags with rocks in them - the same way police say they found hateful flyers randomly scattered across Chatham. In Peabody, residents found similar flyers in June.

The flyers found in Chatham bear the logo of the Goyim Defense League, which the Anti-Defamation League says aims to "cast aspersions on Jews and spread antisemitic myths and conspiracy theories."

According to the ADL, the group is responsible for "at least 74 propaganda incidents in 2021."

"Hatred has no place in Ipswich, where our sense of community is one of our great strengths," Nikas said. "We are actively investigating this matter and are asking residents to assist us in identifying those who distributed these pamphlets."

So far no Ipswich residents have reported contact with anyone who they believe may have handed out the flyers.

"The Chatham Police Department takes these types of incidents seriously and will exhaust all resources to identify those responsible," they said.

Police are asking residents in the area to review any home security camera footage for people leaving the flyers between 9 p.m. on July 4 and 6 a.m. on July 5 in Chatham and Ipswich.

Anyone with information surrounding the incident is asked to call their local police.