The small Washington County community of Charleroi has been getting national attention after and influx of immigrants into the community.
During an event last month, former president Donald Trump said the town “isn’t so beautiful anymore” after a large increase in immigrants.
Joe Manning, the town’s borough manager, tells KDKA Radio’s Marty Griffin that while there have not been any threats of seriously violence, a post to a private Facebook group has made some residence anxious.
The flyer posted to Facebook features Ku Klux Klan symbolism and addresses the “white citizens of Charleroi” and warns them of the dangers of immigrants, with false claims the “government is pushing these 3rd world immigrants into every single small town across America.”
The flyer urges people to join the KKK and to “arm yourselves white America protect your families.”
Manning says he learned of the flyer this past Friday and contacted law enforcement. Police told Manning they were already aware of the matter and that if the poster of the flyer could be identified on Facebook, they would be blocked.
Manning says the flyer came from a part of Kentucky, a small chapter of the KKK that hadn’t been active for several years, per the FBI.
“Because of everything going on here in Charleroi and I guess in Springfield, Ohio, they must’ve seen this as an opportunity to rear themselves back up,” said Manning.
Manning adds that he spoke with the city manager in Springfield (the town that Trump falsely claimed immigrants were eating cats and dogs) that they saw a similar flyer directed toward their town.
While he hasn’t faced any threats of physical violence, Manning says that he has received messages calling him a “traitor” and more.
Manning says that some members of the community in Charleroi are afraid to send their children to school and that there is a general anxiety.
So, how do they stop it?
Manning says the community needs to stand together and “we are not going to stand by and let our citizens be threatened or in anyway intimidated by anything like this.”