A series of flyers with a logo that evokes a swastika inside an American flag has caused alarm after being found around Bloomington — with no clear answer who made them.
The flyers' message reads, "We have the White House, Congress, the courts, and the Bloomington Mayor," and refers to taking back the state while calling for a march in Bloomington-Normal on Aug. 30, from Miller Park to the downtown farmers market. It urges participants to proudly wear military or patriotic organization colors.
The flyers claim "the time of 'not in our town' is over" and they are claiming Illinois for "REAL CITIZENS."
Mike Matejka is a longtime leader in the Not In Our Town movement in Bloomington-Normal, an organization that works against hate speech and promotes respectful civil discourse.
"Firstly, I'm trying to figure out, is this legitimate? Is this a hoax? Because there's no signature on it. There's no organization identified," said Matejka.
If the leaflet is genuine, the Central Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said — problematic swastika or not — a march would be OK.
"This group has a right to freedom of speech just as much as anybody. We have traditionally supported First Amendment rights along with all the others," said ACLU chapter president Carol Koos.
The stance of the writing would suggest the flyers come from someone on the far right. It's also possible an instigator has spread the leaflets in an attempt to create outrage over use of a Nazi symbol and to mobilize counter sentiment.
The flyers come as many marginalized groups have expressed concerns about their safety, partly in response to the Trump administration’s aggressive moves against immigrants, LGBTQ+ rights, and diversity programs.
The flyers were found on the Illinois Wesleyan University campus and at Miller Park, according to Koos.
There's certainly a lot of online buzz over the leaflets. Since there's no signature and no group, it would be difficult to determine who's behind them.
Matejka said he wonders, who would schedule a march at 7 a.m.? It's not exactly a peak time to draw a crowd. And why do you decide to march on the farmers market?
"Are they coming to protest the profusion of zucchini in Central Illinois in August? It just does not make much sense," he said.
The closing line of the flyer could even be a tipoff that someone is just being a troll. It reads, "Let's have some fun."
The City of Bloomington said it's aware of the "inflammatory flyers" and is "looking into the matter."
"No permit has been applied for or issued for this event, and the City of Bloomington is not endorsing it. Bloomington is a community that values respect, inclusion, and safety for all residents. While people have the right to gather peacefully, public safety remains our priority," the city said in a statement Monday.
