Drone Drops Hate Speech Leaflets Over Sacramento State

The leaflets, which were were dropped over the sold out “Bites on the Bridge” event had swastikas and called out the media for being “the enemy.”

May 07, 2019 Katie Malafronte Jump to Comments

A drone flying over an event at Sacramento State University on Friday dropped leaflets with swastikas and other words of hate against the media and government.

Some of the leaflets had the name Tracey Mapes in the corner, reports the Sacramento Bee. Mapes is a Sacramento resident who has been arrested before for dropping leaflets at sporting events.

The flyers accused the media and government of being “infiltrated” by “prostitutes and felons” and called the press “the enemy.”

“Sacramento State condemns in the strongest terms the dissemination of hate speech and propaganda Friday evening at our annual fundraising dinner on the Guy West Bridge,” a statement from the university said. “The anonymous act of spreading such vile material is offensive and runs counter to the principles of inclusion and diversity practiced at Sac State. It did not stop the event, nor will it slow our march toward greater understanding and commitment to the rights and safety of our campus community.”

The event continued despite the incident and campus police plan to investigate, according to Brian Blomster, Sacramento State director of news and communications.

Tweets from attendees said the leaflets were also dropped on Friday evening outside the Golden 1 Center where an Ariana Grande concert was taking place. Leaflets were also seen near the state Capitol building.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, it is illegal to fly drones over stadiums during games. The FAA is working with local law enforcement to investigate the matter further, reports BuzzFeed News.

Mapes 57, posted several aerial drone images on his Facebook page on Thursday and Friday. In April, he posted pictures of Friday’s flyers on his page as well.

He created the Red X Society, a group whose “Only Membership Requirement is in the Participation of Direct Action in Exposing US Corruption,” in 2014. It has fewer than 100 followers on Facebook and Twitter.

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About the Author

Katie Malafronte, Web Editor

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Katie Malafronte is Campus Safety's Web Editor. She graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2017 with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies and a minor in Writing & Rhetoric. Katie has been CS's Web Editor since 2018.