Illinois Mayor Speaks Out After Anti-Semitic Posters Found in Downtown

An Illinois mayor says he is "deeply disappointed and disturbed" after anti-Semitic posters were found posted throughout downtown.

Posters Call Out Investment Company

Photos of posters found throughout Bloomington, Illinois started popping up on social media on Feb. 2. The posters focused on Jewish employees of investment company BlackRock.

"There were several about the 'Jewish press' as well I trashed before I realized there were multiple on various buildings," Noah Tang posted on Facebook. Tang was one of multiple people who removed the posters after finding them throughout the downtown area.

While the posters also called out companies connected to BlackRock, none of them have any direct ties to Bloomington.

Bloomington Mayor Responds To Anti-Semitic Posters

Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe has released a statement addressing the discovery of the posters.

"I am deeply disappointed and disturbed by the anti-Semitic flyers that were placed on doors and windows in Downtown Bloomington over the weekend," Mwilambwe said in a statement shared on the city's social media accounts on Monday. "This kind of hateful rhetoric has no place in our community. Bloomington is built on respect, inclusivity, and unity, and we will not allow messages of division to take root here."

In addition to the anti-Semitic messaging, the posters also contained text about BlackRock and its associated companies "push" for diversity in their workplaces.

Additionally, a line at the bottom of the poster reads "these flyers were distributed radndomly without malicious intent." The message is accompanied by a QR code.