The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) is investigating antisemitic flyers posted around several Santa Monica schools last week.
The flyers featured a large red and green Star of David and the phrase “anti-vaxxer,” apparently suggesting that the anti-vaccine movement is of Jewish origin. They included a phone number to report vaccine opponents “because you care and they don’t.” It had a Kentucky area code.
Reporters with the Los Angeles Times texted the number. A reply message said “a group of parents” was “starting to collect (but not act on) information on anti-vaxxers” in order to “work toward a solution together as a society.”
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District and the City of Santa Monica have released a joint statement on the flyers.
“Santa Monica rejects bigotry of any kind and antisemitic rhetoric, intolerance, harassment and violence have no place in our schools or in our community,” the statement said. “We are deeply offended by the antisemitic posters, falsely and nefariously representing pro-vaccine propaganda found at several of our schools.”
SMPD said its investigation is in the early stages.