Racist, antisemitic and homophobic flyers were found early Monday on the lawns of homes throughout areas of Sacramento, including two East Sacramento neighborhoods, a development that Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg immediately denounced.
“It’s probably no coincidence that those who hate would spew their vile, racist lies on Juneteenth, a holiday uplifting the ideal that all people are equal and free,” Steinberg said in a statement to The Sacramento Bee. “Sacramento will never cower in the face of antisemitism, racism or prejudice.
“The overwhelming majority of people who love their neighbors must always speak up and speak out, and always more powerfully than the few sad souls who think that hating others makes them somehow matter.”
Sacramento police said the flyers were reported in various areas of the city and county.
“We are in the process of gathering information on all locations they were distributed,” the department wrote in an email response to The Bee. “The flyers have been located in the River Park neighborhood in east Sacramento.
“We believe other communities have been affected. The flyer distribution wasn’t isolated to city jurisdiction. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office is also responding to reports of flyer distribution in their jurisdiction. Our department is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding these incidents.”
Police asked anyone with information to call the dispatch center at 916-808-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-444-HELP (4357).
“Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000,” police said. “Anonymous tips can also be submitted using the free ‘P3 Tips’ smartphone app.”
The flyers, packaged in plastic sandwich bags with gravel and other material as weights, apparently were thrown on lawns throughout a neighborhood near 47th Street and Folsom Boulevard.
A resident who was walking his dog about 6:30 a.m. found several of them in neighbors’ yards and picked one up initially thinking it was an advertisement of some kind.
“I thought it was an advertisement,” said the man, who asked not to be named because of the nature of the incident. “And then I saw this one in particular that said ‘White Lives Matter’ and that one struck my eye.”
He continued walking and found more with references to 9/11, an argument that the United States fought on the wrong side in World War II, and smears against Jews and the LGBTQ community.
At least one of the flyers included Steinberg’s photo.
Some of the flyers included QR codes and references to “White Lives Matter.”
Some of the plastic bags also included brown pellets that the resident believed might be rat poison pellets.
“I’m outraged,” the man said. “I’m saddened, I’m a little frightened, you know?
“It’s just disturbing.”
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