A man from Ohio defended his action of distributing antisemitic flyers in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, telling Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that his actions should be protected as free speech under the First Amendment. “The only reason we are here today is because of what was on the flyers. That’s it,” Jeremy Brokaw, who pleaded guilty to littering Wednesday, said following the plea. “I mean, everything on the flyers was facts. I mean, everything on the flyers is facts. You can fact-check everything on the flyers distributed without malicious intent. Randomly. First Amendment-protected free speech.” Brokaw’s attorney, Josh Smith, supported his client’s stance. “Why are they concerned about what’s on a flyer? If they don’t like what’s on it, they can look away. Don’t you like it? Throw it out. OK? I think that’s the — that’s my reaction. I guess some people have a different reaction,” Smith said. The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh strongly disagreed with Brokaw’s defense. “Everybody has the First Amendment right. This was targeted harassment is what this was,” said David Heyman, associate vice president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. “He’s entitled to his opinion. The way he chose to express it was targeted harassment.” Pittsburgh police said Brokaw drove from Zanesville, Ohio, to Squirrel Hill last May and threw flyers from his car onto people’s yards and driveways. “To get from Zanesville, Ohio, to Squirrel Hill takes planning. Takes research. He knew what he was doing,” police said. In 2018, 11 people were killed after shots rang out inside the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, leading to one of the deadliest antisemitic attacks in the United States. When asked about the significance of the location where the flyers were distributed, Brokaw said, “I didn’t even know Squirrel Hill was Jewish. I just hit a neighborhood.” His attorney dismissed the relevance of Squirrel Hill’s history in the case. “That’s really not even something that should be entering this discussion. It’s not even in the same Semitism. Yeah. I mean, it’s not even in the same universe,” Smith said. Brokaw pleaded guilty to five counts of littering and was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.

PITTSBURGH —

A man from Ohio defended his action of distributing antisemitic flyers in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, telling Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that his actions should be protected as free speech under the First Amendment.

“The only reason we are here today is because of what was on the flyers. That’s it,” Jeremy Brokaw, who pleaded guilty to littering Wednesday, said following the plea. “I mean, everything on the flyers was facts. I mean, everything on the flyers is facts. You can fact-check everything on the flyers distributed without malicious intent. Randomly. First Amendment-protected free speech.”

Brokaw’s attorney, Josh Smith, supported his client’s stance.

“Why are they concerned about what’s on a flyer? If they don’t like what’s on it, they can look away. Don’t you like it? Throw it out. OK? I think that’s the — that’s my reaction. I guess some people have a different reaction,” Smith said.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh strongly disagreed with Brokaw’s defense.

“Everybody has the First Amendment right. This was targeted harassment is what this was,” said David Heyman, associate vice president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. “He’s entitled to his opinion. The way he chose to express it was targeted harassment.”

Pittsburgh police said Brokaw drove from Zanesville, Ohio, to Squirrel Hill last May and threw flyers from his car onto people’s yards and driveways.

“To get from Zanesville, Ohio, to Squirrel Hill takes planning. Takes research. He knew what he was doing,” police said.

In 2018, 11 people were killed after shots rang out inside the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, leading to one of the deadliest antisemitic attacks in the United States.

When asked about the significance of the location where the flyers were distributed, Brokaw said, “I didn’t even know Squirrel Hill was Jewish. I just hit a neighborhood.”

His attorney dismissed the relevance of Squirrel Hill’s history in the case.

“That’s really not even something that should be entering this discussion. It’s not even in the same Semitism. Yeah. I mean, it’s not even in the same universe,” Smith said.

Brokaw pleaded guilty to five counts of littering and was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.

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