Community pushes back against white supremacist threats

Whitefish for the past few weeks has been the target of threats and harassment by white supremacists. Though the attacks have come online, the community has faced them together in tangible ways, while continuing to declare the town as one of inclusion.

Whitefish Mayor John Muhlfeld said in a letter to the Pilot this week that he has been dismayed by the recent media frenzy and hate language that has come from those outside the community, but he has been inspired by Whitefish as it has come together.

“In a rapidly changing world, I have once again witnessed the essence of Whitefish,” he said. “We are a close-knit community that rolls up its sleeves, gets things done, and takes care of each other. We may not always agree on issues, but we respect one another.”

Whitefish has been in the national spotlight for the past few weeks. Events began with a campaign by a neo-Nazi blog asking its followers to take “action” and “troll” members of the Jewish community and the Love Lives Here advocacy group. The same blog recently announced plans for an armed rally through town in January.

As of Tuesday, the city of Whitefish had not received an application for an event permit for any such march.

When the initial call to “troll” Jewish residents began, Jen Runnels knew she had to do something so she organized donations to create gift baskets for the families who were affected. She received an “overwhelming” response of donations from dozens of people who donated food, wine, coffee, handmade items, cookies, fruit and vegetables.

“My heart just broke,” she said. “I wanted to show them love and support.”

However, when Runnels name was reported in the news as part of the effort, she too became a targeting of the trolling. Runnels said she was scared at first by the attention and worried it would impact her business, Tree Hugger Soap Co., but within a few days that changed when she began receiving messages of support from all over the world. Her organic soap company broke its online sales record.

“I've only been in business a couple of years and when I was targeted I was worried it would affect the business,” she said. “But it had the opposite effect.”

The seemingly unwanted attention for Whitefish began when the neo-Nazi blog, The Daily Stormer, created the call to action last month after Sherry Spencer, Richard Spencer's mother, claimed that she was pushed into selling her commercial building downtown over her son's white nationalist viewpoints.

For years, Richard Spencer, a part-time resident who has become the leader of the white nationalist movement called the “alt-right,” has flown under the radar of most Whitefish residents. However, he began receiving global media attention following President-elect Donald Trump's victory this fall. He said Trump's election will create a climate conducive to his alt-right white-nationalist views. Since then countless news articles have linked Spencer to Whitefish. Sherry Spencer has said she does not agree with her son's beliefs.

Whitefish City Manager Chuck Stearns on Tuesday said that the city had not received an application for an event permit related to a march.

“There's been no permit application,” he said. “There is uncertainty about whether it will even happen.”

City leaders have taken a stance against the harassment. Muhlfeld in December signed a proclamation that declared that “The city of Whitefish repudiates the ideas and ideology of the Whitefish nationalist and so called alt-right as a direct affront to our community's core values and principles.”

The community has largely pushed back against the threats declaring the town to be one supporting of diversity.

Two Whitefish residents have organized a Love Not Hate event (see related story) in Depot Park Saturday as a response to the negative attention. The event is co-sponsored by Love Lives Here and the Montana Human Rights Network.

Deputy Mayor Richard Hildner is set to speak at the event.

“It's important for the city to reiterate that we are a community that is united and not divided,” Hildner said. “Also that our values are not that of racism and bigotry. We are a welcoming community.”

A graphic that seems aimed at that same message has been showing up around town and on social media. The graphic with a black background boldly declares in primary colors, “Whitefish, blue fish, red fish, all fish.” While the original artist isn't clear, posts to Facebook indicate that the art is copyright free for printing and distribution and proceeds from its use should be sent to the Montana Human Rights Network or Love Lives Here.

Menorahs have been hung in the windows of hundreds of homes and businesses to show support to the Jewish community.

Joan Vetter Ehrenberg, along with about 15 other volunteers, helped pass out the menorahs.

“We felt like we needed to stand with the Jewish community,” she said. “People were glad to take them.”

Early on, a handful of businesses in town received negative reviews online as the result of trolling efforts. Most business owners reported that those reviews were quickly shutdown by positive reviews from the community.

The issue seems to have turned a corner, according to Lisa Jones, spokeswoman with the Whitefish Visitor and Convention Bureau.

“In the true Whitefish spirit, the community has rallied with support for their neighbors and local businesses, by standing up for their values of inclusiveness and non-discrimination, and going the extra mile with acts of kindness,” Jones said.

“The Whitefish Convention and Visitor Bureau continues our focus of inviting visitors from around the world to experience our stellar scenery, exhilarating recreation and warm hospitality,” she added. “We will stay on message ‘Everyone is Welcome in Whitefish' and feel confident that every guest will be greeted with friendliness and kindness. It's what we do.”

Jones said she has talked to several business owners that have been supported by the community.

One retail owner told Jones that while she was not trolled, she had customers who specifically came to shop in Whitefish to show their support, and others who felt support after receiving notes of kindness.

“We are in a different age of information dissemination and rampant acts of hate via the internet, but Whitefish will rebound from this latest frenzy from the outside, and we will continue to be a community that promotes tolerance and opens our doors to all people,” Jones said.

Whitefish Schools last month issued a statement supporting a diverse and unified community based on mutual respect.

“In Whitefish Schools we teach our children to treat each other with kindness, respect, and dignity,” said Whitefish Superintendent Heather Davis Schmidt. “The most important thing I want our community to know is that we have a safe and inclusive environment for all students and staff in Whitefish Schools. All of our schools are a welcoming place to learn, share ideas, and demonstrate respect and caring for one another. We celebrate each other's differences, whatever they may be.”

Last week Montana public officials unified in opposition of the recent threats made against the Jewish community in Whitefish. Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines, Rep. Ryan Zinke, Gov. Steve Bullock and Attorney General Tim Fox sent out a letter saying that any threat of intimidation against the community would not be tolerated.

“We stand firmly together to send a clear message that ignorance, hatred and threats of violence are unacceptable and have no place in the town of Whitefish, or in any other community in Montana or across this nation,” they said in the letter. “We say to those few who seek to publicize anti-Semitic views that they shall find no safe haven here.”

In a letter submitted to the Missoulian, 50 faith leaders from across the state issued their response to the situation noting that the distribution of anti-Semitic flyers in Missoula and intimidation of Jewish community members in the Flathead Valley prompted the leaders to speak out against such actions.

“The cosigners of this letter affirm the right of all individuals and communities to live, worship, dress and pray in accordance with their beliefs and traditions, free from intimidation and fear of violence,” the letter says. “We affirm the rights of all people to live and worship in peace.”