Blue Island Residents Denounce 'White Lives Matter' Fliers

BLUE ISLAND, IL -- Over 40 people attended Blue Island Stands Up To Hate rally on Saturday. The rally was organized after “White Lives Matter” fliers were distributed in Blue Island neighborhoods. Within the past several months, white supremacist, Nazi and KKK fliers have also shown up in Tinley Park, Midlothian and Matteson.

In the early mornings hours August 13, a racist flier touting white supremacy websites was placed on cars along Canal, Desplaines, Market and Gregory streets in Blue Island. The fliers were almost identical to those left in Mount Greenwood last month. In an email to aldermen provided to Patch, Blue Island Police Chief LaSalle King said police determined that no illegal activity had taken place with the dissemination of the literature, “which is covered and permitted under the First Amendment.”

“We believe that this is an isolated incident that targets a small area of Blue Island,” King continued. “We do not want to give [the white supremacy groups] the attention and publicly acknowledge these acts.”

Dozens of Blue Islanders and supporters from neighboring communities assembled at 127th Street and Western Avenue with signs, chants and speakers “to show our neighbors we love them and reject racist hate speech,” organizers said. They were cheered with waves and car horns from hundreds of people passing by. Participants were joined by representatives from NAACP, Arab-American Family Services, Southsiders for Peace, Palestinian-American Community Center, Unity In Diversity, Southwest Suburban Activists, and the Take On Hate coalition.

“We see these events as a pattern attempting to legitimize racism, bigotry, and white supremacy in our communities,” Blue Island resident Mark Kuehner said. “This is also connected to the bigoted anti-Arab and anti-Muslim statements of Palos Township Trustee Sharon Brannigan and the Republican Party candidacy of Nazi Arthur Jones in 3rd Congressional District.”