Police: KKK fliers found in downtown Leesburg, day before MLK day

Leesburg Police say they are investigating after flyers with a pro-KKK message were found throughout the downtown area.

Leesburg police say there were several incidents involving "propaganda fliers" being distributed by individuals claiming to be Ku Klux Klan (KKK) members along North King Street in Leesburg.

Officials said on Sunday, just after 8 a.m. Leesburg Police received the first report of suspicious fliers found outside of a business in the downtown corridor of the city.

Officials say their preliminary investigation revealed that the fliers appear to contain propaganda material and were most likely distributed due to Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday coming up.

Similar fliers appeared in the same area in January 2018, with a message targeted Martin Luther King.

Police say the material appears to have been distributed randomly and was not specifically targeting any particular person or group of people.

Leesburg police say they will work with local, state, and federal partners to identify any potential threats to the community.

The Loudoun County chapter of the NAACP released a statement and invited community members to a community conversation scheduled on Saturday, Feb. 9 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 pm at Evergreen Church in Leesburg.

"It has been brought to our attention that the KKK has distributed hate flyers again, on the eve of the MLK Day of Celebration and Unity.

The NAACP continues to be united with our brothers and sisters in Loudoun County in our unwavering commitment to equality, justice and the elimination of race-based discrimination.

While we understand the intent of the KKK is to terrorize, we refuse to give in to any grounds of progress and be distracted by their futile efforts. We will march forward together and work toward reconciliation and unity.

In the past, we have responded through protests and vigils. Today, our response is through policy. We are working with Atty General Mark Herring, Chair Phyllis Randall, the Leesburg Police Department and our elected offices to craft policy of a hate crime ordinance that will provide the path that makes leafleting a prosecutable crime.

We encourage you remain fiercely united to loving our neighbors and continuing community conversations around race. We encourage you to participate in the community conversation scheduled on Saturday, February 9, 2019 from 6:00-8:30 pm at Evergreen Church in Leesburg.

Take a stand. Answer the call for equality. Answer the call for civil rights. March with the oldest and boldest civil rights organization on Monday, January 21, 2019 in the 27th Annual MLK Celebration. See you at 10:00 am on the grounds of the Loudoun County Courthouse.
Going Forward Together…Keep the Dream Alive!"