By David Fortier
Responses from community members to the discovery of fascist white supremacist propaganda posted high on telephone poles on Farmington Avenue unanimously denounced racism and were generally supportive of the city’s official reaction to the handling of the signs.
However, a local anti-racism group that arose in protest over the handling of a similar incident last year when white supremacist leaflets were distributed in the city’s northeast section, was highly critical of a joint statement issued by the Bristol Police Dept. and the mayor on Monday, the day after the signs were discovered.
“BARB [Bristol Anti-Racism Brigade] condemns the language used by the mayor’s office to refer to Patriot Front as ‘what could be described as a white supremacist group.’ Their manifesto calls for the dismantling of democracy and the creation of a white ethnostate,” the statement reads.
“To qualify the term white supremacy in this instance is either willful ignorance, or tacit approval. Despite Bristol leadership’s belief that sweeping neo-nazi recruitment efforts under the rug will make it all go away, the fact that white supremacists have come to recruit in our town once again is definitive proof of the old axiom – those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.”
In the joint statement, Bristol Police Dept. and Mayor Jeffrey Caggiano announced the discovery of the signs along a section of Farmington Avenue. Exact locations of the signs, number of signs and when signs were discovered, as well as content from the signs, were not disclosed, according to the release, since it would amount to free publicity for the propagandists.
The statement from the Police Dept. reads “The Bristol Police Department stands with all members of our community and condemns groups of hate in the strongest possible way.”
The statement from the mayor reads “Although I can’t comment on the ongoing investigation, I want to echo my displeasure on any outside group trying to divide our Bristol Community. Hate speech has no place in Bristol and I ask everyone in our community to join me in calling out hate speech in any form. Bristol stands together united as one community.”
For the complete joint statement, click here.
The chair of the Bristol Diversity Council, Jaymie Bianca, said that she was highly disappointed in the appearance of more racist propaganda.
“The Diversity Council actively denounces hatred and bigotry in our community and have implemented initiatives to educate our community,” Jaymie Bianca texted.
“It is important for us to not only state that we do not condone racism and bigotry in our city, but to also actively work to combat discrimination to ensure our city is a safe place for all.”
In his statement, Bristol Diversity Council member Marcus Patton said that he was not aware of all the details but that he didn’t have to know “a ton of specifics” to formulate his response.
“As a member of the Bristol Diversity Council, creating a culture where each and every resident feels welcome and ‘at home’ in Bristol, has been our focus. There isn’t a flyer that can be printed that could knock us off of our path,” he texted.
The number of signs that have appeared in the city, exactly when and where, appears to differ depending on the source. The official response states five, but TBE has heard from a person who has been tracking and removing the signs, and they report as many as six on Sunday and several more from July 13.
They report signs at between 12 to 18 feet high on telephone poles at the following locations: July 13 on East Main Street, July 15 two signs on Route 6 by WalMart and Wendy’s, July 16 three signs on Route 6 by Home Depot, Dunkin’ Donuts near CVS and lastly by Frank’s Service Station.
“The sign in front of Wendy’s was a tip off,” they texted. They took down all of the signs except for the ones discovered on July 16.
They texted that they did not notify police because there is often a delay between the time police are notified and when the signs come down. They also reported that over the past two months signs have appeared in Terryville, Plainville, Meriden and Wallingford.
“Every minute a sign remains up is another minute of opportunity for PF to have someone reach out to their website and possibly suckered into sympathizing with PF or end up being recruited by PF.”
BARB was initiated last year by two Bristol residents, Adam Antar and Camelia Lopez, and continues to meet regularly. It maintains a Facebook presence. Click here and scroll down the page for the entire statement.
In the statement, the group calls for the mayor and city council to adopt an anti-racism resolution that it drafted last year at the time the leaflets were found. The resolution never came before the council for a vote, despite several conversations with the mayor prior to the council meeting.
The statement begins “The Mayor and City Council have shown that they lack the ideological and political will to denounce white supremacy and ensure the safety of all people in Bristol.“
It ends “We demand the denunciation of white supremacy. We demand action. And we demand an end to political cowardice.”
The BARB statement includes a call to action, including asking supporters to attend the next Bristol Diversity Council meeting and the next City Council meeting. Since BARB issued its statement, the BDC meeting originally scheduled for next week has been cancelled because of a lack of quorum. The next City Council meeting is Tuesday, Aug. 8.
In her text, BDC chair Bianca points to council initiatives that promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, as well as a quarterly panel series discussing a variety of topics, with recent panels discussing Autism Awareness, Black History Month, and the LGBTQ+ community as a hedge against racism.
In his text Patton wrote that he had confidence in city leaders and law enforcement to hold the community together, as the BDC continues its work to celebrate diversity throughout the city.
He pays homage to his grandfather, the late Rev. John V. Davis, one of the great men of color to live and prosper in Bristol, having raised a large family on Beacon Street, and who worked closely with his wife to help integrate families into the community.
“There was understanding, misunderstanding and a whole lot of patience by each and every resident of Bristol,” he writes.
“While we have come so far from those times, and yes, I believe we have, we’ve also got so much more work to do. That said, words on a piece of paper stand no chance against the living demonstration of who we are as the City of Bristol.”
Police are requesting persons with any information related to the sign posting contact Officer Savage at (860)584-3000 or email an anonymous tip into BPDCrimeWatch@bristolct.gov.
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