‘This is neo-Nazi ideology on display’: Is Florida in danger of being taken over by the far-right? | US News
“As you’re interviewing me right now, they’re about to make arrests,” the sheriff said.
Thousands of miles away, the FBI tracked down the man who allegedly called for his execution for speaking out against neo-Nazis.
If he’s scared, Sheriff Mike Chitwood won’t show it. With a gold star badge on his chest, he posed defiantly as he discussed the death threat he had received recently.
The person behind posted on an online forum that he wanted to “close the door [Chitwood] up and show who is responsible”.
Sheriff Chitwood, 59, went viral earlier this month after he criticized a far-right group that was harassing Jews in Orlando, Florida.
He stood next to faith and community leaders and said it was a “badge of honor” to be on the group’s assassin list and dare members of the group to shoot him.
Orlando has suffered a string of anti-Semitism incidents, with Florida, according to one expert, becoming a “zero point for the extreme right”.
Jewish residents of the area have been harassed and hunted by the far right and have woken up to find anti-Semitic leaflets on their doorsteps.
“This is a neo-Nazi ideology on display,” Chief Chitwood told a news conference that was watched by the world.
Speaking to Sky News, he warned that extremist groups “need to be brought under control” as there was a risk that someone hearing their rhetoric would be brainwashed and go out for a mass shooting. .
A member of a far-right group screams at Jews outside the synagogue
An article about anti-Semitic abuse
Among the incidents that prompted Sheriff Chitwood to take a stance for the first time was the harassment of worshipers outside a synagogue in Orlando in February.
The group then posted the footage online. In it, a man is seen standing outside the synagogue wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses; a string of garlic hangs around his neck. He raised his arm in a cold Nazi salute, grinning for the camera and praising Hitler.
When a believer tried to leave the parking lot of the place of worship, he publicly criticized the anti-Semitic abuse over the loudspeaker towards them.
This shocking footage was shown by Sheriff Chitwood at his press conference – part of a montage showing a series of anti-Semitic attacks in the community.
“These bastards have come to the wrong district,” the Sheriff warned, looking serious.
Since recording and naming numerous people accused of abuse, Sheriff Chitwood has worked with police and the FBI to track down the neo-Nazi group and investigate potential crimes.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood called a far-right group “cowardly cowards” at a heated press conference. Photo: Volusia Sheriff’s Office
Last week, a 38-year-old man from New Jersey, who police said had threatened to kill the sheriff anonymously online due to his stance against the group, was arrested at his mother’s home.
Richard Golden was charged with writing a letter threatening to kill or cause injury. He allegedly posted a notice on an online forum saying “Just shoot Chitwood in the head and he’s no longer a problem. They have to find a new guy that’s the problem.”
Speaking to Sky News, Sheriff Chitwood said this was just one of a number of attempts to intimidate him and his family since he spoke out at the press conference. He claims that a fake 911 call was made to his parents’ home and that his daughter received the calls.
But he refused to be threatened, saying: “I’ve been doing this for 35 years and I’m very good at what I do… I trust law enforcement.
“There are a lot of people who feel like me. I happen to be the most outspoken,” he added.
‘A group of hateful keyboard heroes’?
The team that filmed their hate protest outside the synagogue in Orlando moved to the area from California late last year. Their activities also sparked outrage in Los Angeles, where just days after Kayne West made intolerant comments about Jews in October 2022, the group hung anti-Semitic banners on a highway.
Then in February, two people were shot outside a synagogue in Los Angeles. One suspect has since been charged with a federal hate crime.
At Sunshine State, the group was accused of hanging abusive banners and displaying anti-Semitic messages near the world-famous Daytona International Speedway.
The LA shooting was the last straw for Sheriff Chitwood, he said.
He told Sky News: “At the time, I said, ‘That’s it. I have to go out and show my community how a bunch of cowards have come to our community’. .”
He convened a press conference and stood beside leaders from many religions and groups, as well as state politicians, and said that was enough.
According to Patrick Riccards, chief executive officer of Life After Hate, a US nonprofit that helps people leave violent far-right hate groups, the far-right network is a “snatched organization trying to get out of here.” trying to get attention.”
“They’re largely a bunch of obnoxious keyboard heroes,” he said.
‘Exponential rise’ in anti-Semitism and extremism
Today, Florida is home to a network of white supremacist groups, including some openly neo-Nazi.
The number of reported anti-Semitism cases in the state has been on the rise for several years now – more than doubling since 2018, according to data compiled by civil rights organization the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
ADL data shows Florida ranked fourth out of 50 states when it comes to reporting anti-Semitism incidents over the past three years. The organization also recorded 471 cases of spreading white supremacy propaganda in the state during that time period – ranking the state in 10th place.
Sarah Emmons, ADL’s regional director for Florida, said the organization is “concerned about the exponential increase in extremist and dissident activity – both statewide and nationally”.
‘A positive frontal attack’ on the Jewish community
Local rabbi Rob Lennick said: “These are outsiders who are committing acts of verbal violence.
Those in his congregation are living in fear after anti-Semitic leaflets were dropped outside their homes.
“We’ve seen violence in our community through handouts, through public protests, through projecting images on buildings, through blocking motorists from entering and exiting buildings. facilities of the synagogue. It was a direct attack on the Jewish community,” he said.
“The problem with this kind of face-to-face hatred is that, even if it doesn’t show up on your doorstep, you still sense antagonism and hostility and that starts to feel like a desire to hurt. .
“And then you start to feel threatened by it.”
Nazi flags are seen outside a convention center in Tampa, Florida, in 2022
World War II veterans see Nazi swastikas again
Marvin Miller is a Jewish veteran of World War II. He and his four brothers all served in the war and heard all the anti-Semitic detractors, he said.
He is now 88 years old and lives near Orlando, where he has witnessed far-right activists being active and delivering their hateful messages.
“How can they sit there, put their swastikas on their arms and almost swear allegiance to the Nazi party?” he say. “It’s so strange and it seems so easy to appeal to this right-wing movement, of white supremacists. Those things are scary.”
Marvin says it’s heartwarming to see his community make it clear that neo-Nazi groups are not welcome.
“It’s not just about the Jews because they’re crowding out other minorities. Our black community, the Latino community, they share the same sentiment,” he added.
Anti-Semitism is not just a matter of adults on the far right. It is also seen in a school.
A mother whose daughter goes to school north of Orlando shared on TikTok about how she was bullied for being Jewish. She said a swastika had been posted in the women’s bathroom and the incidents had escalated into “intentional bullying”.
Her school video series has been viewed thousands of times and commenters praise her for speaking out.
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The violence of the US Capitol riot could be repeated, the police officer responsible for security during the protests has warned.
Florida becomes a ‘stage’ for far-right extremists
Historically, a melting pot of different cultures and political beliefs, Florida has been a battleground state, swinging between Democrats and Republicans. But now, the state that Barack Obama won twice is definitely the red state.
Professor Colin Beck, an expert on terrorism and political violence at Pomona University, said: “Florida has essentially become the starting point for the radical right in the US. It is the “promised land” for Trump supporters and the right wing,” he added.
Arie Perliger, a professor of security studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, says that in states like Florida, there has been a tendency for people from minority backgrounds to move out of the inner city and into the suburbs. This makes those sectors more diverse, he said, and has drawn backlash in some cases – a situation that has been further exploited by politicians.
Professor Beck says that although right-wing activism has not yet crystallized into an organized movement, it is moving in that direction.
“It looks to me like Florida is going to be the springboard for this kind of thing,” he said, warning that when far-rights get involved in local politics, they can often gain control of local institutions.
Looking to the future, Life After Hate’s Riccard predicted a “massive increase” in hate crimes over the next few years after a pause following the January 6 Capitol riots.
He added: “The year 2022 is largely a year of planning, where these organizations are trying to figure out the next big thing they can do.”
