Over the course the last several months a group called “The Patriot Front” has been affixing propaganda stickers throughout Montclair. The Patriot Front is a white supremacist, neo-facist, and anti-Semitic organization, described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a Neo-Nazi group.
Our commitment to progressive values sets us apart and makes us the envy of municipalities across the country.
We are not immune however to the scourge of violent extremism that has poisoned our national discourse.
Montclair will not stand silently by while our community is defaced by these anti-democratic terrorists. We will not be intimidated. We will not give in. We must declare in a unified and powerful voice that hate has no place in Montclair.
The horrific insurrection at our Capitol on January 6th underscores the urgency with which we must confront violent white-nationalism, and the very real threat these types of organizations pose to our society.
I have communicated my deep concern about the severity of this issue to our local police department as well the NJ Office of Homeland Security.
Our police department in Montclair has been tracking the locations of “Patriot Front” propaganda stickers throughout the township and removing them whenever they become aware of a new location. The Montclair police have also referred the matter to the Office of the Essex County Prosecutor and the Regional Operations Intelligence Center and will in coordination with their county and state partners take all appropriate steps to investigate this serious matter.
As your mayor you have my commitment to always stand up for our values, and to always stand up to anyone who would seek to undermine them.