Antisemitic fliers distributed to homes in Lake Michigan beach town

SOUTH HAVEN, MI – Police are investigating after antisemitic fliers began popping up overnight on porches and driveways of homes in a Southwest Michigan beach town.

The person believed responsible for distributing the fliers has been identified and contacted by police, said South Haven Interim Police Chief Patrick Carlotto.

While no charges have yet been filed, Carlotto said his department is working with the Van Buren County Prosecutor's Office "to ensure that justice is served."

Carlotto said Saturday, Sept. 28, that the fliers were distributed sometime overnight in several neighborhoods around South Haven.

He told MLive it didn't appear the person was targeting any specific home or location.

The fliers feature an antisemitic caricature of a Jewish man telling non-Jewish people to pick between two flags: one with the Republican Party symbol, a star of David and dollar sign and the other with the Democratic Party symbol, a star of David and the communist hammer and sickle symbol.

The star of David is a symbol of Judaism and Israel.

Below those flags, the flier said "WE NEED:" and then showed a picture of the Nazi flag.

South Haven, a city on the Lake Michigan shoreline with just under 4,000 residents, has a long history of Jewish resorts, with many Jewish people vacationing there from the early 1920s through the mid-1970s.

Carlotto said the fliers were in Ziploc bags and put on porches and driveways. He didn't have an official count of how many were distributed but said it could've been more than 100.

When officers found the man they believe is responsible, he had about 60 more fliers in a trash bag.

"The South Haven Police Department condemns in the strongest terms the distribution of anti-Semitic fliers found in our community," Carlotto said. "These hateful messages do not reflect the values of our city, and we are actively investigating this incident to hold those responsible accountable."

Carlotto said his department has increased patrols in the affected neighborhoods.

"Hate speech and actions aimed at intimidating or threatening any group in our community are unacceptable and will not be tolerated," he said. "We understand the concerns raised by this incident and remain committed to supporting and protecting our diverse community."

Anyone with information about the incident can contact the South Haven Police Department at 269-637-5151.