Goyim Defense League

[[File:Flag of the Goyim Defense League.svg|thumb|165px|Goyim Defense League logo.]]{{antisemitism}}
{{cquote|"The common denominator, though, is what we're seeing is they're in their thirties, they live at home with mommy, they're unemployed and they spend, according to their parents, 20 hours a day in these [[neo-Nazi]] chat rooms. That's the scary part. What I've learned in my career is that what GD and the other groups are doing is they're loading the gun and laying it on the counter waiting for that one person who's marginalized, lives with their mom, with a little bit of mental illness who thinks, ‘oh my God, I got to do something about this.’ Then they go out and commit the atrocity based on what they pushed this person to do. "|||Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, describing the true nature of those who see themselves as "[[White supremacy|the master race]]".<ref name="vicechit">[https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7z8ze/meet-the-viral-sheriff-who-took-on-florida-nazis "Meet the Viral Sheriff Who Took on Florida Nazis"] by Mack Lamoureux, Vice, 2023 April 14</ref>}}

The '''Goyim Defense League (GDL)''' is an [[antisemitic]] hate network of [[troll]] [[edgelord|edgelords]] whose goals are to cast aspersions on [[Jews]], spread antisemitic myths and [[conspiracy theories]], and make {{wpl|Iron Eyes Cody}} shed many tears due to their frequent obnoxious littering of antisemitic flyers.<ref name="adlgdl">[https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/goyim-defense-league "Goyim Defense League"], ADL Backgrounder, 2023 January 12</ref><ref>[https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/local-neo-nazi-jon-minadeo-cited-for-littering-with-flyers-in-florida/ "Police: Sonoma County native John Minadeo cited for littering after distributing antisemitic flyers in Florida"] by Phil Barber, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 2023 February 1</ref> The group name is derived from the [[Hebrew]] term ''[[goy]]im'', which means gentiles (non-Jews), and parodies the name of the [[antisemitism]] watchdog group [[Anti-Defamation League]] and the far-right terrorist organization [[Jewish Defense League]].<ref name="adlgdl"/> 

The group is led by [[neo-Nazi]] [[Jon Minadeo II]] also known online as ''Handsome Truth'',<ref>[https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/What-we-know-about-the-antisemitic-website-run-by-16969466.php "What we know about the antisemitic website run by a Bay Area man linked to distribution of hateful flyers around the region"] by Michael Cabanatuan, San Francisco Chronicle, 2022 March 1</ref> who is a "failed actor, failed [[rap|rapper]], failed dishwasher, (and) failed human being"<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230519020632/https://twitter.com/SheriffChitwood/status/1636891284752277504?lang=en "Failed actor, failed rapper, failed dishwasher, failed human being. Pathetic white supremacist cult leader Jon Minadeo uses hate to control a group of weak minded losers. No family, no friends, no future. This is where “white supremacy” takes you"], Mike Chitwood, @SheriffChitwood, 2023 March 18</ref> who somehow devolved to the point where he currently proudly boasts on his [[Gab]] profile that (in his mind) he is "AMERICAS #1 ANTI SEMITE!".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230608211150/https://gab.com/HandsomeTruth @HandsomeTruth,] Gab profile page, Gab.com, archived on 2023 June 8</ref>

This group was originally founded in Petaluma, [[California]]. Due to perceived hostilities and threats from the California community (as well as a perceived more hospitable climate to antisemites in his chosen destination), Minadeo moved the group to [[Florida]] around the end of 2022.<ref>[https://jweekly.com/2022/12/14/the-leader-of-americas-most-prolific-antisemitic-propaganda-group-is-leaving-the-bay-area/ "Goyim TV, America’s most prolific antisemitic propaganda group, has left the Bay Area for Florida"] by Gabe Stutman, Jewish News of Northern California, 2022 December 14</ref> 

==Antisemitic stunts and flyers==
The primary activity of this group is the distribution of antisemitic [[propaganda]] via flyers containing anti-Jewish conspiracy theories and [[racist]] slurs.<ref name="adlgdl"/> The common theme of the flyers is that every single thing on the planet (and they absolutely mean ''every single aspect'', a phrase that is frequently used on the flyers) is somehow [[International Jewish conspiracy|the fault of the Jews]]. They "prove" this by finding some Jews among the people involved with a thing, then listing them, as if it's a shocking revelation that Jewish people participate in society (both its good and bad parts), and as if listing some of the participants in some particular thing who have some Jewish ancestry to the complete exclusion of any who don't (what we used to call [[lying by omission]]) proves that "every single aspect" of that thing is Jewish.

Sample flyers see ''the Jewish conspiracy!'' in the [[media]], [[abortion]], [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]], the [[slave trade]], the [[Donald Trump]] campaign, the [[Joe Biden]] administration,<ref name="adlgdl"/> [[COVID-19]],<ref>[https://jewishmiami.org/news/federation/statement_jan_23/ "Greater Miami Jewish Federation, JCRC Condemn Antisemitic Flyers Distributed in Miami-Dade County"], Greater Miami Jewish Federation, 2022 January 20</ref> the [[Ukraine#2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russian invasion of Ukraine]],<ref>[https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/antisemitic-flyers-distributed-in-south-atlanta/ "Antisemitic Flyers Distributed in South Atlanta"] by Dave Schecheter, Atlanta Jewish Times, 2022 April 12</ref> immigration,<ref>[https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/antisemitic-flyers-found-in-sandy-springs/ "Antisemitic Flyers Found in Sandy Springs"] by Jan Jaben-Eilon, Atlanta Jewish Times, 2023 June 9</ref> the crucifixion of [[Jesus]],<ref>[https://www.gpb.org/news/2023/10/23/antisemitic-flyers-found-in-brookhaven "Antisemitic flyers found in Brookhaven"] by Logan Ritchie, Georgia Public Broadcasting, 2023 October 23</ref> the investment company {{wpl|BlackRock||,}}<ref>[https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-161/35nxbmqvdft85ax80jov9ezvhy8pz5 "Antisemitic 'Goyim Defense League' (GDL) Flyers Found in Northern California"], Stop Antisemitism, 2023 October 2</ref> the [[Federal Reserve]],<ref>[https://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/hate-flyers-distributed-in-colusa-unknown-individuals-spread-hate-speech-overnight-police-say/article_d5ddda30-6d43-11ee-85f7-a3e90c50bad3.html "Hate flyers distributed in Colusa: Unknown individuals spread hate speech overnight, police say"] by Michaela Harris, The Appeal Democrat, 2023 October 17</ref> purported [[censorship]] of [[African-Americans]],<ref>[https://www.jns.org/wire/endjewhatred-condemns-antisemitic-flyers-found-around-uc-santa-barbara/ "#EndJewHatred condemns antisemitic flyers found around UC Santa Barbara"], JNS, 2023 January 31</ref> [[gun control]], and [[antifa]].<ref name="casflyer">[https://combatantisemitism.org/cam-news/antisemitic-flyers-distributed-in-11-us-states-in-june-2022-cam-data-shows/ "Antisemitic Flyers Distributed in 11 US States in June 2022, CAM Data Shows"], Combat Antisemitism Movement, 2022 July 10</ref> These flyers have been "distributed" in almost every state in the [[United States]] by GDL members and their loose association of online sympathizers, usually via littering the flyers (which are placed in plastic bags weighed down by either small rocks or corn kernels) on residential lawns, parks, and other locations.<ref name="casflyer"/><ref>[https://jweekly.com/2023/04/28/how-an-antisemitic-flyer-campaign-that-began-in-the-bay-area-went-national/ "How an antisemitic flyer campaign that began in the Bay Area went national"] by Lillian Ilsley-Greene and Gabe Stutman, Jewish News of Northern California, 2023 April 28</ref>

Members of the group have been known to drive around in [[kookmobile|kookmobiles]] plastered with various slogans incoherently blaming everything on the Jews.<ref>[https://www.israelhayom.com/2022/05/25/truck-displaying-antisemitic-rhetoric-causes-uproar-in-la/ "Truck displaying antisemitic rhetoric causes uproar in LA"] by Ryan Torok, Israel Hayom, 2022 May 25</ref> Not surprisingly, the group is an advocate of [[fringe]] racist conspiracy theories like [[The Great Replacement]].<ref name="wapochit">[https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/04/20/florida-sheriff-hate-crimes/ "The Florida sheriff vs. the neo-Nazi ‘scumbags’"] by Danielle Paquette, Washington Post, 2023 April 20</ref>

As expected for edgelord trolls, another prominent activity of this group is "stunts" for [[social media]]. These attention-seeking "stunts", designed to attempt to get maximum engagement on alt-tech edgelord social media networks, have included activities such as shouting "Heil [[Hitler]]!" outside a synagogue as Jewish members entered to worship;<ref name="vicegdl">[https://www.vice.com/en/article/epzjwz/goyim-defense-league-jon-minadeo "A Neo-Nazi Troll Network Is Making Money Abusing Jews"] by Mack Lamoureux, Vice, 2023 March</ref> hurling racial and religious slurs at children on {{wpl|Omegle||;}}<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/neo-nazi-child-grooming-abuse-omegle-1234734931/ "This Neo-Nazi Gets Paid to Groom Children. Who’s Supporting This?"] by Tim Dickinson, Rolling Stone, 2023 June 9</ref> live-streaming an encounter with a [[African-American|Black]] police officer who had stopped them for littering (Minadeo proceeded to call the officer a "[[nigger]]" and a "Jewish science experiment");<ref name="wapochit"/> and hanging or projecting signs saying [[bullshit]] like "[[Henry Ford]] was right about the Jews" and "Hitler was right" near the {{wpl|Daytona Speedway}} during the {{wpl|Daytona 500}} weekend.<ref>[https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/2023/02/19/antisemitic-propaganda-targets-ormond-beach-community-isb-boulevard/69921130007/ "Antisemitic propaganda attacks hit Ormond, Daytona, International Speedway Boulevard"] by Patricio G. Balona, Daytona Beach News-Journal, 2023 February 19</ref>

Notoriously, during the height of [[Ye]]'s antisemitic Hitler-praising meltdown, in late October 2022, the GDL hung a banner over a busy Los Angeles freeway (complete with Nazi salutes from the banner hangers) saying "Kanye is right about the Jews".<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/banner-kanye-right-los-angeles-freeway-antisemtic-group-rcna53653 "Rise in antisemitism is feared after banner saying 'Kanye is right' is hung over Los Angeles freeway"] by Chantal Da Silva and Diana Dasrath, NBC News, 2022 October 24</ref> The same message also was digitally projected onto the outside of {{wpl|TIAA Bank Field}} in Jacksonville, Florida in late October 2022, just after a prominent college football game.<ref>[https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-721165 "‘Kanye is right about the Jews’ projected at Florida sporting event"] by Samuel Halpern, Jerusalem Post, 2022 November 1</ref> GDL members later continued their edgelord antics by projecting antisemitic messages on multiple buildings around Florida in 2023.<ref>[https://www.newsweek.com/florida-antisemitic-messages-swastika-jacksonville-west-palm-beach-1774725 "Neo-Nazi Messages Keep Appearing on Buildings All Over Florida"] by Aleks Phillips, Newsweek, 2023 January 18</ref> 

In another edgelord stunt, members of the GDL in 2018 convinced several celebrities who used {{wpl|Cameo (website)|Cameo|,}} a platform where fans can pay for personalized videos from celebrities, to record a message with multiple obscure antisemitic [[dog whistles]]. Victims of this stunt include {{wpl|Brett Favre||,}} {{wpl|Soulja Boy||,}} and {{wpl|Andy Dick||.}}<ref>[https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ellievhall/celebrities-white-supremacists-video-app-cameo-anti-semitic "Celebrities Say White Supremacists Used A New Video App To Trick Them Into Endorsing Anti-Jewish Conspiracy Theories"] by Ellie Hall, Buzzfeed.News, 2018 December 1</ref>

Having been [[deplatform]]ed from mainstream social media sites, or indeed any sort of social media platform with even light content moderation, they operate their own website and video network called ''GoyimTV''.<ref name="vicegdl"/><ref name="adlgdl"/>

Members of the GDL have been frequently fined for littering (and even in one case in November 2023 involving Minadeo II, jailed 30 days for the offense).<ref>[https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2023/11/02/antisemitic-groups-leader-sentenced-to-30-days-in-jail-for-littering-in-south-florida/ "Antisemitic group’s leader sentenced to 30 days in jail for littering in South Florida"] by Angie Dimichele, South Florida Sun Sentinel, 2023 November 2</ref> This also has occasionally led to arrests on other charges.<ref>[https://www.wpbf.com/article/florida-palm-beach-county-antisemitism-flyers-hate-crime/42642107 "Atlantis Police arrest man in connection to distributing antisemitic flyers, new bill filed to crack down on hate crimes"] by Sooji Nam, WPBF ABC 25</ref><ref>[https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/2023/01/29/palm-beach-cites-4-with-littering-for-distributing-antisemitic-flyers/69852590007/ "Palm Beach police cite 4 with 'littering' antisemitic material; fourth incident in PBC this month"] by Liz Balmaseda, Palm Beach Post, 2023 January 29</ref><ref>[https://cbs12.com/features/antisemitism-in-america/500-antisemitic-flyers-flamingo-park-west-palm-beach-police-florida-march-20-2023 "Roughly 500 antisemitic flyers picked up near Flamingo Park"] by Garrett Phillips, 12 News, 2023 March 20</ref><ref>[https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/update-man-accused-of-spreading-anti-semitic-flyers-identified/article_3ac5fd4e-1e60-11ed-88ca-b785188ae71f.html "UPDATE: Man accused of spreading anti-Semitic flyers identified"] by Daniel Gaitan, Kenosha News, 2022 August 17</ref> GDL members have also been associated with more serious crimes. In 2021, a GDL member named Robert Wilson allegedly assaulted his neighbor while yelling [[homophobic]] slurs at him. Before he could be prosecuted, he fled the country. In April 2023, Wilson was arrested in [[Poland]] after being suspected of projecting an antisemitic message on the {{wpl|Anne Frank House}} in the [[Netherlands]].<ref>[https://inewsource.org/2023/04/25/neo-nazi-robert-wilson-goyim-defense-league-arrested/ "San Diego neo-Nazi arrested after antisemitic incident at Anne Frank House, sources say"] by Jill Castellano, iNewSource, 2023 April 25</ref> GDL flyers may also have played a part in the radicalization of a man named Jamie Tran in the Los Angeles Area, who in February 2023 shot two Jewish men as they were leaving synagogues.<ref>[https://abc7.com/jewish-men-shot-federal-charges-los-angeles-police-investigation-hate-crime/12831891/ "Prosecutors say suspect looked up kosher markets in LA to target Jewish people for shootings"] by Amy Powell, ABC 7, 2023 February 18</ref><ref>[https://forward.com/news/537104/suspected-pico-robertson-shooter-antisemitic-emails/ "In emails, man arrested in LA shootings accused Jewish classmates of creating COVID-19 pandemic"] by Louis Keene, Forward, 2023 February 21</ref>

In mid-2023, GDL members started using [[sovereign citizen]] tactics in a misguided attempt to escape their legal troubles.<ref>[https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/facing-charges-some-goyim-defense-league-extremists-embrace-sovereign-citizen "Facing Charges, Some Goyim Defense League Extremists Embrace “Sovereign Citizen” Tactics",] Center on Extremism, ADL, 2023 June 21</ref>

==Reactions from Florida==
In light of the deteriorating climate for minorities in Florida under the [[Republican]] government of [[Ron DeSantis]], the GDL had good reason to believe that the political climate would be better for them there compared to California. However, virulent neo-Nazi antisemitism ended up actually being too extreme even for the Florida GOP.

In particular, the self-described pugnacious<ref name="wapochit"/> sheriff of Volusia County Florida, Mike Chitwood, was infuriated about the GDL relocating to Florida, particularly after the Daytona 500 incidents.<ref name="vicechit"/> In late February 2023, Chitwood held a press conference where he called the GDL "pure [[evil]]" "cowardly scumbags". During the conference, he walked reporters through the criminal records of those involved with the GDL; claimed that he was on the GDL's hit list; and stated in reference to this that "it's an honor to be sought after by a bunch of punk thugs like you."<ref>[https://www.thedailybeast.com/volusia-florida-sheriff-mike-chitwood-goes-nuclear-on-neo-nazi-motherfckers "WATCH: Florida Sheriff Goes Nuclear on Neo-Nazi ‘Motherf*ckers’"] by Justin Rohrlich, Daily Beast, 2023 February 27</ref><ref>[https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/03/15/antisemitic-gdl-network "Antisemitic GDL network grows larger as violence against Jewish Americans abounds"] by Robin Young, Karyn Miller-Medzon and Grace Griffin, WBUR, 2023 March 15</ref>

Naturally, these statements infuriated the Nazi scumbags lurking on platforms like [[4chan]]'s [[/pol/]]. Immediately after this conference, the trolls on these platforms started their usual antics: [[Hate speech|hate mail]], [[doxxing]] and [[SWATting]] the parents of Chitwood,<ref name="vicechit"/><ref name="wapochit"/> and attempting to embarrass Chitwood by posting a picture of him in a bra (a picture which Chitwood didn't give a shit about, seeing as how that photo was taken at an event that raised thousands for breast cancer research).<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/florida-sheriff-mike-chitwood-antisemitic-group-b2291524.html "Florida sheriff blasts organisation of ‘cowardly scumbags’ behind string of antisemitic propaganda"] by Graig Graziosi, Independent, 2023 February 28</ref> Flyers were also littered around Volusia County that targeted Chitwood using this photo, along with a caption that tried to played up the usual boogeymen of the 4chan crowd. ("[[COVID-19 vaccine|Vaccinated and boosted]] [[cross-dressing]] Sheriff Mike Chitwood wants to end the [[First Amendment]] and replace you with immigrants and [[Undocumented immigration|illegal aliens]]!"). Other than annoyance at the littering trolls, the impact of this stunt was minimal.<ref>[https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/2023/03/08/sheriff-mike-chitwood-hate-group-trying-to-sway-elections-against-him/69985861007/ "Racist group targets Sheriff Mike Chitwood by dropping flyers in Port Orange area"] by Patricio G. Balona and Eileen Zaffiro-Kean, Daytona Beach News-Journal, 2023 March 8</ref>

Multiple death threats were also made targeting Chitwood on 4chan's /pol/. This led to police arresting five 4chan posters and charging them with making a written threat to kill. In two cases, true to [[stereotype]], they were dragged out from where you'd expect a 4chan poster to live — [[Argumentum ad cellarium|their mother's house.]]<ref>[https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/crime/2023/04/24/3-men-now-facing-charges-of-threatening-volusia-sheriff-on-4chan-who-are-they/70145602007/ "Who are the 3 out-of-state men accused of threatening Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood?"] by Katie Kustura, Daytona Beach News-Journal, 2023 April 24</ref><ref>Mack Lamoureux (March 17, 2023). [https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7ewbm/sheriff-mike-chitwood-death-threats-4chan-arrest-richard-golden "4Chan Troll Living With His Mom Arrested for Threatening Anti-Nazi Sheriff"]. ''Vice News''.</ref><ref>[https://www.vice.com/en/article/5d9pwb/4chan-mike-chitwood-nazi-arrest "Another 4Chan Troll Who Lives With His Mom Arrested for Threatening Anti-Nazi Sheriff"] by Mack Lamoreux, Vice, 2023 April 4</ref><ref>Meredith Deliso (April 21, 2023). [https://abcnews.go.com/US/3rd-man-arrested-allegedly-posting-online-death-threat/story?id=98760052 "3rd man arrested for allegedly posting online death threat against Florida sheriff"]. ''ABC News''.</ref><ref name="dbalaskachitman">[https://www.thedailybeast.com/volusia-sheriff-mike-chitwood-has-the-perfect-response-to-accused-killers-deranged-threats "Sheriff Has the Perfect Response to Accused Double Killer’s Deranged Threats"] by Justin Rohrlich, Daily Beast, 2023 September 27</ref> In addition, one of the /pol/ posters threatening Chitman was initially arrested for allegedly killing his fiancée’s sister and her husband.<ref name="dbalaskachitman"/>

On May 30 2023, the GDL filed a lawsuit against Chitwood. In a sign that Chitwood could troll as well as anyone on 4chan, Chitwood responded by mailing out pacifiers that read “Mike Chitwood hurt my feelings” to each of the members involved in the lawsuit.<ref>[https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/08/down-the-toilet-antisemitic-activist-threatens-to-sue-volusia-sheriff-demands-100000/ "‘Down the toilet:’ Antisemitic activist threatens to sue Volusia sheriff, demands $100,000"] by Anthony Talcott, Click Orlando, 2023 June 8</ref> 

Demonstrating the potential legal perils of actually writing death threats when shitposting, one of the people who threatened Chitwood, Richard Golden, was sentenced to one year in jail on December 1 2023.<ref>[https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/courts/2023/12/01/man-who-threatened-volusia-sheriff-mike-chitwood-gets-prison/71765100007/ "New Jersey man who threatened Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood sentenced to a year in prison"] by Frank Fernandez, Daytona Beach News-Journal, 2023 December 1</ref>

On January 27 2023, Florida state representative {{wpl|Mike Caruso (politician)|Mike Caruso}} introduced new Florida legislation that was seemingly created in direct response to GDL's stunts and flyer littering. Among other aspects, the bill made littering for the purpose of intimidation a criminal offense, and outlawed projections on buildings without written consent.<ref>[https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/269/BillText/er/PDF "An act relating to public nuisances" etc.,] HB0279-03-ER, 2023 April 26</ref><ref>[https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/politics-issues/2023-01-27/bipartisan-bill-targets-antisemitic-incidents-making-them-felonies "A bipartisan bill targets antisemitic incidents in Florida by making them felonies"] by Joe Byrnes, WMFE, 2023 January 27</ref> The bill unanimously passed the Florida House and Senate,<ref>[https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=76984 "CS/CS/HB 269 - Public Nuisances"], myfloridahouse.gov</ref> and was signed into law by DeSantis ([[Stopped clock|yes, DeSantis of all people]]) on April 28, 2023.<ref>[https://www.flgov.com/2023/04/28/governor-ron-desantis-signs-enhanced-anti-antisemitism-and-anti-bds-legislation-in-israel/ "Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Legislation in Israel Further Combatting Antisemitism"], Ron DeSantis press release, 2023 April 28</ref> Far-right agitators such as [[Alex Jones]], [[Laura Loomer]], and [[Styxhexenhammer666]] were not amused.<ref>[https://archive.is/ncoN8 #HB269 hashtag search,] BitChute, archived on 2023 June 11</ref><ref>[https://www.dailydot.com/debug/ron-desantis-far-right-hate-crime-bill-florida/ "‘DeSantis better veto that’: Florida’s effort to crack down on hate speech has antisemites up in arms"] by Claire Goforth, Daily Dot, 2023 April 24</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:California]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:Criminals]]
[[Category:Florida]]
[[Category:Great Replacement conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:Internet kooks]]
[[Category:Neo-Nazism]]
[[Category:Racists]]
[[Category:Trolls]]
[[Category:White supremacy]]

Categories: California, Conspiracy theorists, Criminals, Florida, Great Replacement conspiracy theorists, Internet kooks, Neo-Nazism, Racists, Trolls, White supremacy