Swastika shock at Ga. temples
‘Frightening’ neo-Nazi antisemitic acts
A group of neo-Nazis brandished swastika flags and other antisemitic propaganda outside multiple Georgia synagogues over the weekend.
Several members of the hate group Goyim Defense League were pictured outside Chabad Lubavitch of Cobb County in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta Saturday.
The disturbing protest was led by the group’s leader Jon Minadeo II — a day after he was charged with disorderly conduct and public disturbance in front of Temple Beth Israel in Macon, WMAZ-TV reported.
“This was the most frightening thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” Chabad of Cobb member Stewart Levy told WSB-TV.
“I am shocked, absolutely shocked to see this here. When I see the amount of ignorance out there and some of the truths that they are promoting, it is just frightening the level of inaccurate knowledge that there is.”
Minadeo was arrested the day earlier in Macon after he continued shouting obscenities through a bullhorn even though authorities has asked him to stop, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
He was released from the Bibb County jail Saturday and apparently headed straight to Cobb, the newspaper said.
The displays of hate in Macon had prompted hundreds of people to gather at Temple Beth Israel Saturday to show their solidarity with the Jewish community, far outnumbering the 10 or so people behind the hateful demonstration, according to The Telegraph.
“I knew it wasn’t people in Macon-Bibb, because the Christians, Jews and various other religions have had an extremely peaceful coexistence in this town forever,” said Mike Kaplan, whose family has attended the house of worship for five generations.
“This congregation was established in 1859, and we’ve never had this happen. We’re more grateful for the response than we are saddened by the actions of these few people who came from out of town and brought hate to Macon,” added Kaplan, who is also the chair of the county election board.
The tour of hate had started earlier Friday in the city of Warner Robins.