Petaluma man’s antisemitic stunt draws Gov. Newsom’s ire

Jon Minadeo II, the longtime Sonoma County resident known for his virulent and prolific antisemitic hate speech, has gotten the attention of everyone from the Anti-Defamation League to Polish police authorities, who arrested him in early September for a brash demonstration outside the gates of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Now, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has joined Minadeo’s opposition.

Newsom on Monday issued a statement in response to an incident that recently took place on an overpass above the busy Interstate 405 in Los Angeles. As with most of the stunts executed by Minadeo and the group he fronts, the Goyim Defense League, the latest Los Angeles event was tiny but vicious. A handful of people draped banners over the rail of the overpass and delivered Nazi salutes visible to passing motorists.

One of the hand-drawn banners read, “KANYE IS RIGHT ABOUT THE JEWS.”

It was a reference to troubled rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, who recently made antisemitic comments about Jewish control of American media. Tuesday, the shoe company Adidas pulled its sponsorship of West, an agreement that brought the entertainer $220 million annually, according to Forbes.

“This weekend’s public display of anti-Semitic hate is another wake-up call to all of us that we must remain vigilant to protect our values and freedoms as Californians,” Newsom said in a prepared statement. “The former President gave a platform to extremists spewing hate speech and we continue to see the dangerous consequences — from the insurrection on Jan. 6 to Nazi salutes and anti-Jewish signs over the 405 freeway here in California.

“Our state is committed to protecting our diverse communities and will continue to lead the fight against racial, ethnic, and religious hate wherever it rears its ugly head.”

The rest of the news release went on to detail California’s efforts to combat hate acts, including a combined $315 million in security grants and direct support to communities that are affected. Last month, Newsom made appointments to the Commission on the State of Hate, which will help to track hate crimes and make recommendations to better protect civil rights in California, he said.

Minadeo built his GoyimTV media channel while living in Petaluma. On recorded feeds, he delivers monologues full of prejudiced tropes — while Jews are his main target, Minadeo also frequently ridicules African Americans and gays — and disinformation. The videos include crawls of viewer comments, some of which openly call for the murder of Jews.

Minadeo has perhaps made his biggest mark with a series of antisemitic flyers that have blanketed various neighborhoods around the country in the past year or more. They have appeared on doorsteps in several Bay Area communities, including a month ago in Santa Rosa. The flyers are easily accessed and printed via Minadeo’s website, so it is unknown how actively he is involved in distribution.

Since the beginning of summer, he has stepped up his in-person insults, taking to the road with neo-Nazi accomplices. The publicity stunts often involve the display of banners, though Minadeo has also at times used a bullhorn to directly provoke passersby at Jewish community centers or synagogues.

The nonprofit StopAntisemitism posted photos on its Twitter account showing Minadeo and others hanging the banners in Los Angeles. Minadeo is also pictured yelling to a California Highway Patrol officer. The caption states he berated the officer, who spoke only English to him but may have been of Latino heritage, about “diversity hires” and immigrants taking over America thanks to Jewish laws.

American law enforcement agencies have repeatedly said that Minadeo’s hate speech is protected under the First Amendment, and that there is little they can do to stop him.

“While we appreciate the Governor of California condemning antisemitism and this recent GDL stunt that capitalized on Ye's ongoing antisemitic tirades, StopAntisemitism wants to see action and not just words,” the group’s executive director, Liora Rez, told The Press Democrat in an email. “Where are the arrests for a targeted harassment campaign against the Jewish people? We have repeatedly called on our elected officials and law enforcement to stop these bigots who are inciting violence towards the Jewish people.”

One source who knows Minadeo said he has relocated to Florida. Others claimed he still spends time in Sonoma County.

You can reach Phil Barber at 707-521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @Skinny_Post.