WHITE NOISE
Neo-Nazis say gov trying to ‘silence’ them
ALBANY — A white supremacist group is distributing flyers across the state hitting Gov. Cuomo for attacking their right to free speech.
“Freedom of speech? Not in New York,” says the flyer, which features a black-andwhite image of Cuomo and promotes the group Identity Evropa.
Some were found outside of Orange County Community College in Middletown.
The neo-Nazi group, which was founded in 2016, says on its website that it is fighting back against a probe it claims Cuomo ordered this summer into the usage of Identity Evropa posters that were placed at “dozens of public universities and public places in New York and New Jersey.”
The posters were part of a “defend identity” protest effort this summer outside the Mexican Consulate in Manhattan and Fort Tryon Park, the group says on its website.
“Make no mistake our view is, and the law is clear, that endeavors like this are petty attempts at political intimidation,” the group said of the investigation. “Idenactivists tity Evropa have responded with a new wave of posters across New York, identifying Governor Andrew Cuomo's attempt to silence and suppress our First Amendment rights to freely assembly and engage in political speech.”
The group said its members throughout the state are mobilizing “to let the Governor Cuomo (sic) know that he will not silence us.” “While other ethnic groups can flourish without scrutiny, it is only European Americans which are routinely scrutinized and demonized for promoting the interests of their own naon and civiliation.” A Cuomo pokesman had no mediate comment n the flyers, but was not ure to what investigation e hate group was referring. The governor repeatedly has spoken out against the rise of hate crimes and groups in New York that he says has worsened since President Trump has taken office.
Cuomo, appearing on his brother CNN host Chris Cuomo's debut show on Monday afternoon on Sirius/ XM satellite radio, said, “I don't think it has ever been as ugly as it is now.”
“It is much more ugly, mean, hateful than it has ever been,” the governor said. “It's a social dynamic. It's not a political dynamic. You have a lot of things feeding into it.”
Cuomo said the only way to address it is to keep fighting back.
“You're here to do good, you're here to fight the good fight,” the governor said. “You don't fold in the face of anger and hate. Love will eventually defeat hate.
“But it's harder, and hate is easier to sell, and there will be people who sell hate. But your obligation is to overcome.”