There’s a bright line that runs from propaganda activities like leafleting and banner drops to active shooters. Leafleting, banners, and small street demonstrations are designed to alert a community of a group’s existence, presence, and interests, and to gauge the community’s receptiveness and response. They also serve to awaken, attract, and inspire would-be members. However hateful, they also fall under the category of protected free speech and are thus protected under the 1st Amendment.
How the community responds is key. The Faith-Based Information Sharing and Analysis Organization’s May 2022 Monthly Threat Brief will address the topic of First Amendment Auditors, freeway banner drops, lawn leaflets, stickers, and fliers – and how these activities connect to violent activities at the other end of the action chain. As these events rarely rise to the level of criminal activity, they don’t trigger visible law enforcement response – but that does not mean we are not concerned about the presence of these groups and the messages they propagate. This MTB focuses on these activities and their perpetrators, how law enforcement responds, and how Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) should deal with these types of events.
Moderators: Co-Chairs of the FB-ISAO Operational Resilience Group
Panelists:
- Chris Donohue, Supervisory Special Agent, Civil Rights Squad, FBI New York
- Kelli Muse, Senior Assistant District Attorney, Bureau Chief, Kings County (NY) District Attorneys Office
- Evan Bernstein, CEO and National Director, Community Security Service (CSS)
- Peter Levi, Regional Director – Orange County & Long Beach, ADL
- Stephen Meyer, Detective, Threat Management Unit, Irvine (CA) Police Department
Discussion Points:
- What are these incidents?
- Who is perpetrating them?
- What are the motivations of the perpetrators?
- A discussion of various recent incidents of leaflets, billboards, banners, protests
- National assessment and responses to these types of incidents
- What can and should FBOs and faith communities do in response to these events?
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fb-isao-monthly-threat-brief-mtb-tickets-310676350327.
Please note that the usual MTB time slot has been extended to 90 minutes. Due to the relevance of the topic, the MTB, usually a member-only event, is open to all qualified individuals.
Please send all inquiries to [email protected].
