WATERFORD LAKES, Fla. — Demonstrators yelled antisemitic slurs in Waterford Lakes on Saturday.
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On Sunday, drivers on I-4 spotted people with Nazi insignias over the interstate.
The demonstrations come just one week after someone distributed antisemitic fliers to beachside homes in Brevard County. People in at least five other states have found similar fliers.
People passing by the Orlando demonstrations sent Channel 9 video showing people wearing swastikas and can be heard loudly taunting others. The group demonstrating identified themselves as the National Socialist Movement.
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Rabbi David Kay is the chair of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida and said antisemitic isn’t a surprise.
“It is disconcerting for the Jewish community to say the least,” he said. “Unfortunately, we maybe got into the mindset in past decades that anti-Semitism had gone away. Unfortunately, I think the reality is, it’s always been here.”
In a statement, Orange County deputies said, “No arrests were made and the group left the area. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office deplores hate speech in any form, but people have the first amendment right to demonstrate.”
Kay said it’s a conflict understanding free speech and supporting the First Amendment, but not condoning hate.
Florida Highway Patrol made the demonstrators take the signs down on I-4 because there is a statue stating that it’s illegal to hang anything over the interstate. There are no charges pending.
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