Stickers apparently blaming Jews for virus posted in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Message plastered throughout downtown and on college campuses features Star of David and symbol of Freemasons; Canadian Jewish group denounces ‘blood libel’

JTA — Stickers that seem to blame Jews for the spread of the coronavirus were found posted throughout Halifax, the capital of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.

The sticker reads “The Bug That Backfired COVID-19,” flanked by a Star of David and a symbol of the Freemasons.

The stickers were found throughout downtown Halifax and on some university campuses, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported on Sunday.

The Atlantic Jewish Council, which represents the Jewish communities of eastern Canada, called the stickers a “malicious blood libel” in a tweet.

“The implication is that the Jewish community was the cause of COVID-19, which obviously is completely false and very anti-Semitic,” Naomi Rosenfeld, the council’s executive director, told the CBC.

The AJC is aware of stickers posted around the Halifax Regional Municipality implying that Jews are to blame for the spread of COVID-19. Guided by CIJA, we have alerted the Halifax Regional Police to the spread of this malicious blood libel. pic.twitter.com/jmKpNSJ25t

— Atl Jewish Council (@AJC_AtlanticCA) October 2, 2020

Independent Jewish Voices, a grassroots anti-racism organization, said the stickers are part of a trend of right-wing and white-supremacist hatred toward vulnerable minority groups.

“Fighting and educating against antisemitism must therefore be part of a larger struggle against all group hatred and discrimination,” IJV said in a statement.