Jacksonville leaders condemn antisemitic displays

Image via Daniel Uhlfelder Twitter

Jacksonville’s Georgia-Florida weekend was marred by high-profile displays of antisemitism and local leaders are expressing their outrage.

“The kind of anti-Semitic hate speech being circulated online purportedly from the Florida-Georgia game is despicable and extremely disappointing. There is absolutely no room for this sort of hate in Northeast Florida. I continue to stand in support of the Jewish community in Jacksonville and across this nation,” asserted Rep. John Rutherford, a former three-term Sheriff, early Sunday morning.

Mayor Lenny Curry also denounced the displays: “Jacksonville is a city made better because of its diversity. Those who spread messages of hate, racism and antisemitism will not be able to change the heart of this city or her people. I condemn these cowards and their cowardly messages.”

“Hate has no place in our city. Jacksonville stands with our Jewish neighbors and against disgusting antisemitic rhetoric,” tweeted City Council President Terrance Freeman.

“I denounce this hatred. Those in leadership in our state, the Republican Party, emboldened these folks. The anti-Black, anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ hate has to be kicked out of our state and city,” tweeted Rep. Angie Nixon.

“We stand with our Jewish friends. Hateful speech like this must be condemned. The freedom of religion is a sacred part of a free country and a right guaranteed to all Americans,” tweeted City Council member LeAnna Gutierrez Cumber.

Mayoral candidate Donna Deegan tweeted: “It’s unacceptable for this to happen in our city. It’s also not the first time we’ve seen antisemitism and other vile attacks on our neighbors in recent months. We must condemn any and all intolerance in the strongest of terms. Hate speech has no home in Jacksonville.”

“In the last 24 hours, Jacksonville has been attacked by a coordinated campaign of anti-semitic hate. These displays have no place in our community and are vile. I call on all our elected and community leaders to condemn these hateful displays of antisemitism and support our Jewish community. Silence breathes acceptance — this is not Duval,” asserted Duval Democratic Party Chair Daniel Henry.

The antisemitic messages first surfaced on a overpass on I-10 in western Duval County. A banner urged drivers to “end Jewish supremacy” and “honk if you know it was the Jews.”

Another one surfaced on Arlington Expressway, extolling Kanye West for being “right about the Jews.”

After the football game downtown, similar messages were broadcast on the stadium and other downtown buildings.

Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Jacksonville this weekend, including at Saturday’s Georgia-Florida game before heading to New York state to campaign with Lee Zeldin. In addition to other still-reticent local figures, DeSantis has yet to make a comment.

The city of Jacksonville has dealt with organized hate groups many times in its history, including repeated recent flyer distributions by the Ku Klux Klan. It is unclear what party or parties are responsible for the incidents in Jacksonville Saturday.