Gov. Brian Kemp and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock condemned the Neo-Nazi demonstration in east Cobb on Saturday, with Kemp calling the display of Nazi flags “disgusting” and Warnock tweeting that “this has got to stop.”
“There absolutely no place for this hate and antisemitism in our state,” Kemp said in a Sunday morning tweet.
“We must all raise our voices loudly against this vile hate,” Warnock tweeted.
The two politicians were responding to a display by Neo-Nazi extremists waving swastika flags and displaying antisemitic propaganda who gathered in front of an east Cobb synagogue Saturday during services, drawing outrage from people who passed by the demonstration.
Some passersby demanded that the group of about 10 people leave the sidewalk in front of Chabad of Cobb — also called Chabad Lubavitch in some of the social media posts — and condemned their display. They also posted photos and videos of the group on social media, asking the public to help identify them.
Kemp called the demonstration a “shameful act.”
“I share in the outrage over this shameful act and stand with Georgians everywhere in condemning it,” he wrote on Twitter. “We remain vigilant in the face of these disgusting acts of bigotry.”
Photos from Saturday apparently show Jon Minadeo II in front of the synagogue on Lower Roswell Road, which also includes a Holocaust memorial. Minadeo is the leader of the Goyim Defense League and staged a similar event in Macon on Friday. He was arrested for disorderly conduct and public disturbance, according to 13WMAZ in Macon. Police told the TV station that Minadeo kept shouting obscenities through a bullhorn after he was asked to stop.
About 15 people protested outside Temple Beth Israel in downtown Macon. That came after antisemitic flyers were left in residents’ driveways in Warner Robins, just south of Macon, earlier in the day. In response, hundreds of people turned out Saturday at Temple Beth Israel to take a stand against antisemitism, The Telegraph reported.
“Yesterday we saw antisemitism on display in Macon, and now in metro Atlanta. This has got to stop,” tweeted Warnock. “Praying for our Jewish community in Georgia and beyond. We must all raise our voices loudly against this vile hate.”
Minadeo was released from the Bibb County jail Saturday and apparently headed to Cobb. The synagogue noted they are working closely with Cobb officials and police to ensure the security and safety of the campus.
“We are extremely appreciative and thankful for the outpouring of support and concern from all segments of the community,” Chabad of Cobb said in a statement. “We have been in communication with Cobb County officials, who have identified these individuals as part of a small group that travel around the country in order to spread their hateful message.
“East Cobb has been a wonderful home to a flourishing Jewish community for many years. These individuals do not represent the sentiments of the citizens of east Cobb.”
Cobb police were at the demonstration, according to photos posted to social media, but The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was unable to reach authorities for further information Saturday evening.
GDL adherents have targeted cities in the metro area and around the state for the better part of two years. The GDL sells the flyers on the group’s website, alongside Hitler-themed T-shirts and other paraphernalia. The group also livestreams their protests, inviting people online to send them money.
“This disgusting hate has no place in our society,” Dov Wilker, Atlanta director of the American Jewish Committee, said on Twitter. “It’s why (the American Jewish Committee) continues to speak out. We hope our community leadership will continue to stand in solidarity with us.”
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