Introducing another face of hate: the flier—an inexpensive accessory to the assault rifle, the knife, the torch and the fist. In Illinois, hate leafleting has become the MO for extremists and bigots to spread their lies and prime their targeted communities with intimidating messages like “Be Warned” and “No Zionists.”
The Goyim Defense League, an antisemitic white nationalist group, has long embraced the blood sport, papering Jewish neighborhoods and public places with thousands of messages of hate across northern and central Illinois.
A new Anti-Defamation League (ADL) report indicates the fliers have done their job.
In Chicago alone, reported hate crimes surged by 64 percent.
Covering the state, county by county, the report reveals an alarming rise in incidents of racism and anti-religious bigotry across the Land of Lincoln, documenting 1,054 cases of hate, extremism, terrorism and antisemitism between 2020 and 2024. The report also cited FBI statistics, which show a dramatic increase in hate crimes in Illinois, climbing from 98 to 347 between 2021 and 2023. According to the ADL, over half of all hate incidents involved white supremacist propaganda and, in Chicago alone, reported hate crimes surged by 64 percent in 2023 over the previous year—with race, ethnic and religiously motivated hate crimes dominating, comprising over 75 percent.
In the three years leading up to 2023, antisemitic incidents in Illinois increased 354 percent. Those incidents included 155 cases of harassment, 54 of vandalism and two assaults.
ADL also noted that 68 percent of the antisemitic incidents occurring in 2023 happened after October 7 of that year.
“When we see individuals being targeted because of their race, their religion, their nationality,” David Goldenberg, ADL Midwest regional director, said, “that is when it crosses the line. When we see a mosque having anti-Muslim fliers being dropped in front of it, it’s clear that that’s not just free speech, but a hate crime.”
“There’s a lot of fear and anxiety and uncertainty,” said Irshad Khan, lead organizer for the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago.
The United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech defines hate speech as “any kind of communication in speech, writing or behavior that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are, in other words, based on their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, color, descent, gender or other identity factor.”
The United Nations further specifies that hate speech “can be conveyed through any form of expression, including images, cartoons, memes, objects, gestures and symbols and it can be disseminated offline or online.”
Like a flier.
Accordingly, the ADL called for the Illinois General Assembly to pass legislation enabling marginalized groups or individuals to seek damages for “intimidation by threat of violence.”
The measure, called the Neighborhood Freedom from Intimidation Act, would award the target of hate speech “actual damages, including, but not limited to, emotional distress or $10,000 per defendant, whichever is greater.”
As Khan said, “We want to make sure that we are promoting a supportive, inclusive environment.”
Passage of the bill would not solve the entire problem—would not eradicate bigotry—but it would be a step toward accountability.
A step toward declawing the paper tiger of hate.
