Ahead of a Monday public holiday dedicated to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., members of the Ku Klux Klan wasreported to have distributed flyers that are denoucing the leader.
Police and the FBI have launched an investigation after at least 10 people reported to have seen plastic sandwich bags containing a flyer that labels Dr. King as a an alcoholic, communist and pervert.
Bishop Shawn Stephens, an African-American pastor while speaking to NBC Washington said that she was in her driveway when a woman driving past threw the flier through the window. Stephens said; "How can this be in 2018? How can this really be our reality at this stage of life? This is America, the land of the free. I believe [Martin Luther King Jr.] would be heartbroken," he told the outlet. "He was impactful for every group out there. He fought for them. And he was a fair gentleman. And he was a gentleman that loved all people."
Another residents, Jack Oden,who saw the flier around 10pm in the east side of town said; "I believe in free speech, but if you’re going to say things or do things like that, you need to stand up in front of other people and listen to their response, doing it this way is cheap."
Police have said that the culprits are distributing the flier because of the upcoming holiday, and are not targeting a specific group of people. Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said that the they are working with the FBI and the Purcellville police departments to know the origin of the fliers.