MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Racist flyers left in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood

Sep 16, 2019, 6:11 AM | Updated: 6:15 am

There’s outrage in one of Seattle’s most diverse neighborhoods. Racist flyers appeared there over the weekend. Now some neighbors are calling for action.

The flyers began popping up in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood Saturday, taped to Black Lives Matter posters.

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This comes just a month after racist flyers were left at two synagogues in South Seattle.

Those who have seen both say the most recent flyers are more explicit still. They feature racist images.

“I mean, you would have to walk down the street, walk in front of our car and make a real concerted effort to put the sign here,” said Genessa Krasnow.

That is just one of the reasons Krasnow is upset about the flyer someone left outside the home she and her wife share on a Columbia City dead-end street.

“This is a direct assault to people of color,” said Krasnow.

She says she is bothered even though she isn’t a person of color.

“But we’re all the same,” she said. “I care because we are human beings. Our job is to love one another.”

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Racist flyers have been showing up across the Puget Sound region over the last many weeks. Several religious institutions were targeted just last month, including two South Seattle synagogues.

Pat Murakami, president of the South Seattle Crime Prevention Council, had not seen the flyers until KIRO 7 showed them to her.

“Shocked,” said Murakami. “We have an extremely diverse community.”

She says it is important to find out who is leaving these messages of hate.

“Anybody that has seen this or it’s on their property, they should tell police,” said Murakami, holding a copy of the flyer. “This one, of course, has been touched by many people. But I would advise people not to touch the sign, and they might be able to pick up latent prints. And just call the police and report it.”

Krasnow says she and her neighbors plan to respond with love.

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“Look at the leaders who have led us out of darkness,” she said. “It has been through peace. It has been through love. It has been through compassion.”

To that end, Krasnow says she and her neighbors are already planning what she is calling “a love-in” to fight the hate.

She says it will happen in Columbia City in two weeks.

Anyone who knows something about the flyers is asked to call Seattle police.

By Deborah Horne, KIRO 7 TV

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Racist flyers left in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood