An antisemitic hate group was behind a banner hung over a busy Los Angeles freeway on Saturday saying “Kanye is right about the Jews,” watchdog groups said, after Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, made a string of antisemitic comments in recent weeks.
A number of people could be seen raising their arms in a Nazi salute as they stood behind the banner and another sign that read: “Honk if you know.” A third banner promoted a video platform that streams antisemitic content operated by the Goyim Defense League, a network of antisemitic conspiracy theorists.
StopAntisemitism.org, a non-profit group dedicated to documenting antisemitic behavior said the GDL was responsible for hanging the banners above Interstate 405.
The Anti-Defamation League in Southern California said in a tweet that the group responsible for the banner was “known for espousing vitriolic #antisemitism and white supremacist ideology.”
“Hate has no place in Los Angeles or elsewhere and these attempts will not divide us,” it said.
A number of high profile figures spoke out over the weekend against the recent rise in antisemitic discourse.
“Anti-semitism in any form is deplorable. In person. Online. Doesn’t matter where. It’s hate and it’s unacceptable,” actor and producer Reese Witherspoon wrote in a tweet Sunday night.
“Completely understand why my Jewish friends/ colleagues are frightened for their families. This is a very scary time,” she said.
“I support my Jewish friends and the Jewish people,” comedian and actor Amy Schumer said in an Instagram post.
“L.A. is a city of belonging, not hate,” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti wrote in a tweet condemning “this weekend’s antisemitic incidents.”
“Jewish Angelenos should always feel safe,” he said. “There is no place for discrimination or prejudice in Los Angeles. And we will never back down from the fight to expose and eliminate it.”
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. said he was also “horrified by the vile antisemitism on display in L.A. this weekend.”
“Tragically it shows the power some hold to amplify hateful language, and how quickly they can persuade others to express their own bigotry,” he said, appearing to reference Ye’s recent comments, without naming the rapper outright. “We must condemn hate wherever we see it — immediately and forcefully.”
The incident comes after Ye, who has been vocal about his difficulties with mental health and has a history of posting erratically online, made a number of antisemitic comments on social media, resulting in the rapper seeing his Twitter and Instagram accounts temporarily restricted.
Producers of online talk show “The Shop” also pulled an episode featuring the rapper after they said he used “hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes” during the taping.
As the rapper faced mounting backlash over his comments, it was announced last week that Ye had agreed to acquire the conservative-oriented social media app Parler.
Parlement Technologies, the parent company of Parler, announced last Monday it had “entered into an agreement in principle to sell Parler” to Ye, who it said was “taking a bold stance against his recent censorship from Big Tech.”
NBC News has contacted a representative for Ye for comment.
The ADL has warned that “extremists across the ideological spectrum,” including members of the GDL, have been embracing Ye’s antisemitic statements and celebrating news of his plans to acquire Parler.
In addition to Saturday’s incident, the ADL said the GDL was also attempting to “capitalize on Ye’s comments by targeting the Black community with their propaganda and seeking to convince Black people that Jews are a universal enemy.”
The ADL said members of the group’s Telegram chat were seen discussing new initiatives related to Ye’s comments, including creating fliers blaming Jewish people for the Atlantic slave trade, while some members claimed to have specifically targeted Black neighborhoods during recent propaganda distributions.
The Los Angeles and Beverly Hills police departments said they were investigating antisemitic fliers that were distributed in Beverly Hills, according to The L.A. Times. It is unclear if they were related to Saturday’s incident. The police departments did not immediately respond to an overnight request for more information.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
