ISP Warns Public 'Extremist' Groups Planning 'Day Of Hate' On Saturday

CHICAGO — The Illinois State Police are urging residents to be vigilant over the next several days after increased online violent extremist messaging.

State police sent out a tweet this week warning that extremist groups have declared Saturday, Feb. 25, as a “National Day of Hate.” Gov. J.B. Pritzker also retweeted the message.

Neo-Nazi and other anti-Semite groups are encouraging hate actions for the weekend. The online threats and call to action were leaked in an internal memo by the New York Police Department’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau.

The online organizers are “instructing like-minded individuals to drop banners, place stickers and flyers, or scrawl graffiti as a form of biased so-called action,” the NYPD said.

The Illinois Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center has been in communication with community organizations and will continue to monitor all intelligence platforms. Chicago police issued a similar warning to Jewish and other religious communities in the city.

David Goldenberg, Midwest regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, told NBC 5 Chicago that ADL analysts traced the declared “day of hate” to a small antisemitic group based in eastern Iowa. Since then, other white supremacy and hate groups since saying that they intend to participate.

Currently, there is no information upon which to take action, but ISP said “the public should be vigilant in the coming days and report suspicious and/or illegal activities to local law enforcement.”

Illinois State Police sent this tweet on Thursday, warning the public of possible extremist actions on Feb. 25.