Police in Winthrop are investigating after someone crashed a Zoom meeting to spread a message of hate.
Police in Winthrop, Massachusetts, are investigating after an antisemitic message interrupted a town council meeting Tuesday night.
Members of the Winthrop Town Council jumped in to try to stop the hateful "Zoombombing," which happened during a discussion of the town's flag flying policy.
"Someone had a mask on, with a swastika flag in the background, and they made antisemitic comments," Winthrop Town Manager Tony Marino said Wednesday. "This community is fantastic, and hate has no home here and it is very upsetting this had to happen last night."
The Anti-Defamation League of New England says these incidents have spiked amid the war between Israel and Hamas.
Winthrop Police Chief Terence Delehanty says he is working with Massachusetts State Police and the FBI to identify the person.
"The Winthrop Police Department is actively investigating this incident as a hate crime," Delehanty said in a statement. "We will respond aggressively to this attack on our community. There is no place for hate in Winthrop. Not in person; not online; not anywhere."
Security has been stepped up at a synagogue in Winthrop.
