Police seek info on racist fliers distributed in Delaware County

Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying who distributed racist fliers over the weekend in Ridley Township, Delaware County.

“Sometime overnight on Sunday June 18th, 2023, an unknown actor/actors, disseminated this flyer around the Swarthmorewood section of Ridley Township,” the Ridley Township Police Department posted Sunday afternoon on Facebook.

Anyone with information or video surveillance of the perpetrators can contact the Ridley Township police at 610-532-4000.

State Reps. Leanne Krueger and David Delloso, who represent Delaware County, released a joint statement Tuesday denouncing the fliers.

“We were appalled to learn that literature containing white supremacist language and insignia was distributed in some neighborhoods of Ridley Township over the weekend,” the Democratic legislators said.

“Any and all efforts to spread hate, incite violence or intimidate historically marginalized groups are unacceptable in ours or in any community,” they said.

“The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office and the Ridley Township Police Department are investigating, and we ask anyone with information about the source of these materials to contact either or both,” the lawmakers said.

Krueger said in an email late Tuesday afternoon said she was told by residents that the fliers were found in three locations early Sunday morning.

“I spoke to a local commissioner and he said this is the first time he is aware of materials like this being found in Ridley,” Krueger said. She added that the locations are not far from where Black Lives Matter protesters were intimidated a few years ago.

“The QR link on the flyer links to a ‘White Lives Matter Official’ page on Telegram and neighbors are concerned because white supremacists have been using Telegram to organize racist violence in other communities. They believe these flyers are a recruiting tool,” Krueger said.

Andrew Goretsky, the Anti-Defamation League Philadelphia Regional Director said in an emailed statement: “ADL’s Center on Extremism tracked a white supremacist campaign this past weekend scheduled to coincide with Juneteenth. The campaign promoted a white supremacist video that falsely suggests that whites are under attack, that Jews are playing a role in white replacement and that violence committed by Black people is the greatest danger to the country.”

Goretsky added: “White supremacist propaganda is designed to intimidate marginalized communities and recruit additional people to their hateful ideology. We must all speak out against hate speech and counter it with anti-hate speech. Please report such activity to ADL, law enforcement, and your local community leaders.”

» READ MORE: An alarming report shows rising antisemitism in Pa., days after a white supremacist campaign targeted Port Richmond

Fliers with racist hate speech promoting white supremacy were found in the city’s Mount Airy section late last month, 6ABC reported.

Anti-semitic fliers were distributed in Upper Darby earlier in May, Fox29 reported.

Racist, antisemitic propaganda and white supremacist fliers were reported in the city’s Chestnut Hill section in late March.