Antisemitic messages left on cars in Lincoln Park

Correction: This story was updated to correct the dates and location of the incidents.

Dozens of antisemitic messages were found on parked cars Tuesday in Lincoln Park.

About 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 2100-2200 block of North Magnolia Avenue, “signage and flyers” were found on multiple parked vehicles, according to Chicago police. Police did not detail the messages on the flyers but confirmed they contained antisemitic messages.

No arrests were reported, and further information was not available.

It’s one of multiple times in the last several weeks that North Side residents have woken up to antisemitic and white supremacist flyers on their cars, the Anti-Defamation League Midwest said.

Separately, sometime between 9:30 p.m. Jan. 2 and 8:30 a.m. Jan. 3, police received reports of 40 to 50 flyers posted on parked vehicles in the 5400 and 5500 blocks of North Magnolia Avenue, police said.

“I condemn these acts of antisemitism, and stand with our Jewish neighbors during this difficult time,” said a statement from Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, whose 48th Ward covers the 5400-5500 block of North Magnolia Avenue.

“We are a diverse and welcoming ward, and there is no place for hate in our community. We continue working with impacted community members, our police, the Commission on Human Relations, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and others to respond to incidents as they happen, and to prevent future hate crimes from occurring,” Manaa-Hoppenworth said in the statement. “Remember that we are stronger together and those of us who lead with love and kindness outnumber those who don’t.”

On Friday, a swastika was found drawn inside a social space for Jewish students at the Lake Shore Campus of Loyola University Chicago, capping a week of other “obscene items” found drawn in the room, the university said.

Hate crime reports have surged across Chicago the past two years, with 204 in 2022 and 302 in 2023, after holding steady at around 100 in previous years, according to police data. Anti-Jewish hate crimes were the second-most reported last year, behind anti-Black hate crimes.