Edmonds community denounces white nationalist fliers left outside homes



EDMONDS, Wash. -- Neighborhoods all around Puget Sound, from Tacoma to Edmonds, have been hit with disturbing fliers linked to a white nationalist website.

At the intersection of 80th Avenue West and 196th Street in Edmonds, it’s about being loud.

“Silence signals acceptance, so any time something like this comes up you have to come out and say this is not us, we’re a caring and loving community,” said Mike Nelson, Edmonds City Council president.

With their voices and their signs, neighbors packed the street corners protesting the fliers found outside their homes.

“I was worried I was personally targeted because I have a 'Black Lives Matter' sign in my front yard, but as I was leaving I saw every home in our neighborhood had it,” said Emily Paynich, who found one of the fliers in front of her house on Sunday morning as she went outside to get the newspaper.

The fliers were inside resealable bags with a few small stones to hold it in place. Police say the fliers feature a Cold War-era slogan linked to a white nationalist website.

“Those kinds of groups are scary and not what I feel represents the diversity of our community,” said Paynich.

Nelson says the Maplewood and Seaview neighborhoods were hit over the weekend.

“In the dark of night or light of day we will stand up, because this is Edmonds and here love wins,” said Nelson.

Mom Christi Mullet, who lives in Edmonds, says it was important to bring her two daughters out to show them that love and inclusion trump hate.

“I really feel the kids need to be here and they need to understand that this is not okay. We’ve had a lot of conversations about acceptance of humans,” said Mullet.

“I believe that everyone is special. it doesn’t matter what you look like,” said her daughter Emily Mullet.

The group says being out there shows the rest of the community that Edmonds is united.

“We’re not a fan of hatred here,” said Mullet.