Sandy Welch sent the Beacon a picture of a flyer she spotted in the 19800 block of 78th Place West.

This weekend, the self-described white nationalist group Patriot Front left flyers in plastic bags, loaded down with rocks, in the Meadowdale and Seaview neighborhoods in Edmonds.

Sandy Welch sent the Beacon a picture of one she saw in the 19800 block of 78th Place West. They were also spotted on 199th Street SW and in the Maplewood neighborhood. Edmonds police have been notified.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, “Patriot Front is a white nationalist hate group that broke off from Vanguard America in the aftermath of the deadly ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, of August 12, 2017.”

Flyers also were found in Bellevue, Seattle, Tacoma and West Seattle.

Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling posted the following on the City’s Facebook page:

“As your mayor I must say that the messaging promoted by those flyers is totally inappropriate in our community. Edmonds is an inclusive and welcoming community, and messages of intolerance, supremacy, and exclusion are not acceptable in our city.

“We join other nearby communities in their serious concern over this behavior. Please know that the Edmonds Police Department is monitoring the situation for any potential escalation or associated illegal activity.

“In the meantime, I wish to convey the City’s sincerest conviction that Edmonds is a community that embraces inclusion, diversity and equity for all our residents, visitors and businesses.”

The Edmonds Diversity Commission issued a statement that joins Earling’s concern, and encouraged citizens to attend its meeting this Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Edmonds Senior Center if they want to comment on this incident during the public comment period.

“Certainly, people have a right to espouse and express their opinions, but I find it highly objectionable that this group would distribute its message to unwitting homeowners in this way,” Earling added.

“The Edmonds Police Department is committed to respecting the Constitutional Rights of all people,” Edmonds Police Chief Al Compaan said. “At the same time, actions motivated by bias or prejudice have no place in our community.

“Conduct constituting a hate crime will be vigorously pursued to the fullest extent of the law. We encourage our residents to report any activities of this type so that we may initiate a thorough investigation to hold the perpetrator(s) accountable.”