An antisemitic "Zoombombing" incident interrupted a town meeting in Concord, Massachusetts, last week, according to town manager Kerry Lafleur, the latest in a series of these incidents.
The incident occurred at a regularly-scheduled meeting of the town Finance Committee on March 14. The meetings, which are open to the public, are hybrid, meaning committee members and interested town residents are welcome to attend in person or on Zoom.
Around 8:52 p.m., a community member participating remotely shared their screen depicting images that were "antisemitic in content and deeply offensive," which initiated an antisemitic dialogue between several attendees, Lafleur said in a statement. Committee members intervened and eventually expelled the individuals involved.
Lafleur also noted a similar incident occurred at a recent meeting of the town Zoning Board of Appeals.
"Hate speech of any kind is antithetical to our values, and while our board and committee meetings are open and accessible to the public, hate speech has no place in these meetings, and will not be tolerated," Lafleur said.
The town is working to update its Zoom training protocols to account for mitigating these incidents as quickly as possible, Lafleur said. Police and the FBI are investigating.
These types of incidents have surged amid the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Anti-Defamation League of New England. In December, a town council meeting in Winthrop was interrupted by an individual wearing a mask and spewing antisemitic rhetoric.
