The Grover Beach Police Department said several city residents received what they call “inflammatory and hateful” fliers on their doorsteps and vehicles over the weekend. The department said the fliers promoted a website upholding the “European race.”
Similar fliers have popped up across SLO County since the beginning of May. There have also been demonstrations by a group of masked men displaying “white pride banners” in Templeton and San Luis Obispo.
Police said the fliers found around Grover Beach do not explicitly endorse hate or violence, but they are out of line with the city’s principles of inclusivity, diversity and mutual respect.
Jim Munro is a Commander with the Grover Beach Police Department. He said because the first amendment protects freedom of speech, there is nothing local police can do about the fliers — besides to encourage people to throw them away.
“There was no obvious or identifiable hate speech, anything that was against the law and we just advised our community members that while it was unfortunate they received it, just responsibly discard it. Find a way to just basically, throw it in the trash,” Munro said.
Munro said the Grover Beach Police Department will not spread photos of the fliers or reproduce them, to avoid amplifying their content.
He said if fliers like these continue to spread, the department will investigate each incident individually to determine whether or not there is a violation.
You can read the police department's news release about the incident here.
