Hoboken Community: Let’s Rise Above ‘Hateful’ Election Flyers

HOBOKEN, NJ — Several Mile Square City residents are speaking out after bigoted flyers calling Hoboken mayoral candidate and councilman Ravi Bhalla a “terrorist” began appearing on car windshields last weekend. Their message? The recent flyers are hate-filled, absurd nonsense, and they won’t impact local voters who have the capacity for rational thought.

Just days before the Nov. 7 election, bigoted and potentially illegal flyers started appearing in Hoboken that identified Bhalla as a "terrorist" who might "cost Hoboken taxpayers millions."

The flyers inspired an immediate response from Bhalla, who called them "an opportunity to affirm to each other and our children the value of living in a diverse community."

• See related article: Ugly Flyer Smears Hoboken Mayor Candidate As 'Terrorist'

“It's not what Hoboken is about," Bhalla told New Jersey News 12. "We are a very welcoming and diverse community. I wouldn't be elected twice as a councilman if we weren't.”

Immediately after the flyers started to appear in Hoboken, local community members and residents began speaking out about the incident, emphasizing that the bigoted political jingoism on the flyers doesn’t represent the city they live in.

• See related article: Hoboken Cops: Bhalla Smear Flyer Was Doctored, 2 People Sought

Some of Bhalla’s five contenders for the open mayoral seat have been vocal critics of the flyer distribution.

Councilman Michael DeFusco said that the flyers distributed last weekend – which state that they were “paid for by Team DeFusco For Hoboken” – were “racist and disgusting.” He denied any connection between his campaign and the flyers, and said that he plans to demand an investigation with the Hoboken Police Department and the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office to “determine who is intentionally misrepresenting” his campaign.

“This injustice will not stand and we will do everything possible to get to the bottom of it,” DeFusco said. “Political stunts like this are everything that's wrong with politics today and I'm horrified to see this happening in Hoboken."

Another of Bhalla’s mayoral competitors, Council President Jen Giattino, condemned the flyers as “hateful and cowardly” and said that they were “racially charged and just wrong.”

“This reprehensible act is completely unacceptable,” Giattino said. “There is no room for this kind of hateful and cowardly act in our election. We may differ in many of our views in this election, but I know that we all agree that this type of tactic has no place in our society.”

Anthony Romano, another candidate for Hoboken mayor, released a Facebook video statement that condemned the “divisive flyer.”

“I know that I don’t have anything to do with this, or anyone in my campaign,” Romano said.

• See related article: Hoboken Election Guide 2017 (Mayor, Council, BOE Candidates)

U.S. Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey offered a statement about the flyers on Saturday.

“My friend Ravi Bhalla is running for Hoboken mayor. This vile hateful flyer was put out. I condemn it. We all must condemn bigotry and hate.”

U.S. Representative Frank Pallone Jr. also decried the flyers.

“Disturbing trend happening in NJ. Another racist flier sent to voters, this time in Hoboken. We must speak up. We will not be divided.”

HOBOKEN COMMUNITY REACTIONS

Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante said that the HPD is investigating the distribution as a potential bias crime.

Ferrante added that the content of the disseminated literature "is unacceptable anywhere in Hoboken or this country" and is illegal.

"That is not free speech," Ferrante stated.

Christopher Halleron, publisher/editor of hMAG, wrote that “months of pointed and productive debate about all aspects of running a city are now overshadowed by the specter of xenophobia.”

“Fact is, we’re far from a utopia… but we’re even further from the type of environment where a flier reading “Don’t Let TERRORISM Take Over Our Town” would have any sort of direct impact,” Halleron stated.

Other Hoboken businesses and community members posted social media messages condemning the flyers and pointing out that the last-minute dirty tactic shouldn’t have any effect on a rational voter this Tuesday… one way or the other.

“The city of Hoboken is a diverse, supportive community that is not represented by the nonsense that some monster concocted,” local business 902 Brewing wrote. “We’re not endorsing any candidates, or blaming anyone, but we are endorsing respect, humanity, and love. Do your research. Vote as you will. But please, don’t be influenced by the disgusting happenings of this weekend.”

Other responses on social media included:

• “The hardest part was answering my daughter’s question, ‘Why are people attacking you because you wear a turban?’”
• “The bigotry is real. But we can't let the haters win.”
• “I think the best part of this is that rather than deny that he is a Muslim (which would be true but would be distancing himself from Muslims who do not deserve these sorts of attacks either) he instead focuses on the positive, that hate will not win.”
• “This is disgusting and ignorant and surprising in a place like Hoboken… When they go low, we go high.”
• “We support everyone who wants to live openly and peacefully in Hoboken. After the election is over, I would like us all to come together for an evening of unity. A candle light gathering to show support for tolerance and diversity in our community.”
• “We shall overcome this hateful environment. We will prevail. Hoboken will rise above this and set a new tone.”
• “All the people I talked to found these fliers surreal and nobody believed a word and that they could ever come from [DeFusco’s] campaign. They felt insulted by whoever did this trash and spent tons of money for nothing, because these fliers insult the intelligence of the people of Hoboken. We are much better than this in this town.”

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Photo: City of Hoboken