Anti-Semitic activity comes to Daytona, Ormond. A proposed Florida bill seeks to prevent that.

More than a dozen people affiliated with the Goyim Defense League visited Daytona Beach this past weekend to spread the word. Anti-Semitic propagandaOfficials said.

But a bill introduced in the Florida House earlier this year, HB 269: Public Nuisances, seeks to increase penalties for such activities. The bill remained in the Criminal Justice Subcommittee until February 1.

Members of the hate group stood on the pedestrian bridge over International Speedway Boulevard on Saturday and held up banners with anti-Semitic slurs, police said.

The group also attempted to digitally project hate speech The day before the Daytona International Speedway 500.

In Ormond Beach, police said anti-Semitic propaganda fliers were distributed throughout town this weekend. Although officials did not attribute them to any group, the flyers mentioned GoyimTV.TV, a video platform for the GDL.

Similar incidents were reported across the state.

In Jacksonville:Anti-Semitic message displayed after Florida-Georgia game

Increase in hate:The Anti-Defamation League reports an increase in anti-Semitic harassment, vandalism and assault

Who proposed the bill and what would it do?

Rep. Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, filed the bill in January It was co-sponsored by Rep. Vicki Lopez, R-Miami, and Rep. Randy Fine, R-Brevard County, among others.

If a person violates Florida’s litter law with “material evidencing religious or racial hatred,” the offense would be reclassified as a third-degree felony and reported as a hate crime, the text of the proposed bill states.

HB 269:Read the proposed bill here

The bill makes it a felony and a hate crime if a person:

• Intentionally stalking, harassing or interfering with someone based on “the person’s wearing religious-based clothing or clothing commonly associated with a particular religious or ethnic group or with any other religious or ethnic tradition”

• Willfully and maliciously desecrate a religious cemetery or any cemetery, marker, memorial, plaque, statue, museum, school, community center, or other public or private property containing any indicia of any religious or ethnic heritage (including “any physical anti-Semitism Prakash… such as a swastika”)

• “projects an image outside a publicly or privately owned building or other property” without the owner’s written consent if the image demonstrates religious or racial hostility.

• Willfully obstructs or disturbs “any school or assembly of persons meeting for the worship of God, for the purpose of confessing the death of any person or for any other lawful purpose” with religious or racial hatred.

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How did local law enforcement respond to recent incidents?

Daytona Beach police referred to the pedestrian bridge group as “First Amendment Auditors” in a press release.

A police spokesman said the group tried to bait officers “for violating their rights in hopes of justifying a lawsuit” against the department.

“The Daytona Beach Police Department has remained and will continue to remain professional in dealing with them when they exercised their First Amendment rights,” the release said.

Daytona Beach Police Chief Zachary Young said officers are investigating, and anyone with information should contact Sgt. Tim Ehrenkaufer at [email protected]

Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey also issued a statement Condemning the anti-Semitic campaign, he said the police are investigating.

Godfrey urged anyone with information to contact Cpl. Jeremy Smith at [email protected]

What are the legislators saying?

At a press conference announcing the proposed bill in January, Caruso pointed to recent incidents of harassment of Jewish women and children and speculation of hate speech in buildings.

“If we don’t do something now, we could soon have 1933 Nazi Germany here again, and I’m not going to stand here and do nothing; I’m not going to be complacent, and I’m not going to sit back,” Caruso said. .

Fine pointed to the growing number of anti-Semitic incidents across the state and country and the need to address it and how the First Amendment comes into play.

“Silence in the face of evil is evil itself,” said Fine. “You have the right to be a Nazi, but you don’t have the right to be a Nazi and engage in criminal behavior, whether it’s littering, whether it’s trespassing, whether it’s assault.”

This article originally appeared in the Daytona Beach News-Journal: The bill seeks to prevent anti-Semitism like Daytona, Ormond