The city of Nashville, Tennessee, has seen a rise in antisemitic encounters including physical violence at the hands of neo-Nazis, the Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday.
Neo-Nazis have sought to intimidate Jewish residents of Nashville over the last two weeks with marches, physical assaults, and antisemitic pamphlets, according to Jewish groups and local law enforcement.
On Monday, antisemitic flyers and graffiti were distributed throughout the city including in the driveways of some Jewish residents.
A large demonstration formed in downtown Nashville and extended to a major thoroughfare where Nazi flags were flown. Another altercation resulted in one neo-Nazi protester being charged with aggravated assault for using a flagpole to strike a local bartender in the face and ribs.
On Wednesday, the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville warned on Facebook that they had been informed of heightened activity from one neo-Nazi group in the Nashville area. Nashville Metropolitan Police Department Chief John Drake said in a statement that the group was likely operating out of nearby Scottsville, Kentucky.
"Even Nazi speech is protected under the United States Constitution," said Drake, adding that the police would promptly act on any violations of the law.
In response to the incidents, former Nashville mayor and Democrat Tennessee congressional candidate Megan Barry posted Wednesday on X, "Nashville has a Nazi problem."
"While the First Amendment does give these idiots the right to put their racism and bigotry on display in public places, revealing for all to see what losers they are, it doesn't give them the right to harass or physically intimidate people," Barry's post continued.
"They may choose to do it here because they think it has a receptive audience here. We need to make it clear they are badly mistaken," her post concluded.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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