Anti-Semitic Fliers at URI

    The Director of Public Security Stephen Baker said the fliers were sent to all public access printers in the library and to printers across the universities bay campus. These fliers were originally found while the university was on spring break, this worried Baker that more fliers would be found as students and staff returned from break. 

   According to an article published by the New York Times, a hacker who goes by the name “Weev” was responsible for the fliers. Weev is an alias for Andrew Auernheimer, 30, of Fayetteville, Arkansas. In an interview, Auernheimer said he sent the fliers to every publicly accessible printer across North America.

   This raises concerns for students at URI given the ease Auernheimer had accessing the printers. President of URI, David M. Dooley sent out a mass email to staff and students addressing the incident. In the email he stated URI's Department of Public Safety will continue to investigate the incident and they don’t tolerate anti-Semitic acts like this.

   As a result of this incident the university has heightened printer security. Baker said, “They’ve restricted all the Kingston campus printers to only print for URI personnel, they’re still working on it for the bay campus ones.”

   Amy Olson, executive director of URI Hillel, agreed with the actions taken by the university and how quickly Baker notified her regarding the incident. In Olson’s opinion the fliers sent during Holocaust Remembrance Week were merely a coincidence, since URI wasn’t the only school targeted. Olson said, “It appears that what he did was not a crime because the networks were open.” Auernheimer didn’t hack into the URI network he was able to remotely access the printers.

   Olson said, “When I first heard about it, it was concerning but when I later found out it didn’t originate at URI that was somewhat of a relief.” There is no known connection between Auernheimer and URI.

   URI sophomore Yulyana Torres said in regards to the fliers, they were extremely gross and disgusting. Torres also said, “I don’t think anyone who goes to a place of learning or who’s trying to get an education should feel their identity is disrespected or misrepresented in anyway.”

   In President Dooley’s statement he said, ““At this time all of us need to take the threats of racism, intolerance, and bigotry seriously and commit ourselves to combatting these kinds of attacks on the fundamental value and dignity of all people.”

   Olson explained how this ordeal made URI's Holocaust Remembrance Week more relevant to people who may not normally pay attention to it. Olson said, “The fact that these fliers came at this time and the fact that it was in your face shows that ant-Semitic things still exist these days.”