Antisemitic flyers linked to U.S.-based hate group raise concerns in Peterborough, Ont.

Advocacy organizations say the distribution of antisemitic flyers in Peterborough, Ont., and elsewhere is linked to an American hate group, as police continue to investigate the latest incident.

Advocacy organizations say the distribution of antisemitic flyers in Peterborough, Ont., and elsewhere is linked to an American hate group, as police continue to investigate the latest incident.

Over the Canada Day long weekend, 19 Peterborough residents reported receiving flyers promoting anti-Jewish conspiracy theories and white supremacist propaganda, marking the third time in three months that such flyers were distributed to various neighbourhoods in the city.

“It’s just not acceptable that our brothers and sisters in the Jewish community have been targeted for this kind of vile hatred,” said Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal.

The mayor said the hateful conduct originated from the United States. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish advocacy organization, and others have specifically linked the flyers to the U.S.-based hate group Goyim Defense League. GDL is described as a "loose" network of individuals on the internet who stream antisemitic content and engage in stunts to harass Jewish people.

Peterborough police have not specifically named any individuals or groups responsible for the flyers. No arrests have been made.

The most recent incident comes one week after antisemitic and anti-Black graffiti was discovered on an elementary school in the city. Antisemitic flyers believed to be linked to GDL were also found in Saskatoon earlier this year.

“For some reason, Peterborough seems to have become somewhat of a hotbed of extremist right-wing sentiment,” Ron Molnar, a spokesman for the Jewish Community Centre of Peterborough, said in an emailed statement.