Antisemite of the Week: 

Jason Brown

Florida resident Jason Brown is a prominent figure within the white supremacist organization Goyim Defense League (GDL). His personal history is muddied with instances of hostility, threats, and confrontations towards Jewish communities across the country. Brown is often found in tandem with GDL founder, Jon Minadeo II, who considers Brown an indispensable asset to GDL's operations. The group is a neo-Nazi based network of individuals whose mission is to spread antisemitic bias about the Jewish people.          

Photo: GDL leader Jon Minadeo II and Jason Brown ignite the Israeli flag on a swastika fire pit

As a member of GDL, Brown has engaged in a number of antisemitic campaigns. In 2021, he participated in the "Name the Nose" tour, which was designed to harass and mock Jewish individuals through a series of trolling and pranks. Brown has been filmed on multiple occasions engaging in acts of desecration towards the Israeli flag, including burning it, spitting on it, and dragging it on the ground with his foot. He is also the face behind the "Rise of the JEWnicorn" tour, where he dresses in a bright pink unicorn costume and parades across Florida beaches with a sign that states, "The Holocaust is As Fake as This Unicorn."              

On January 29, 2022, Jason Brown, along with two others, were involved in an orchestrated and violent antisemitic incident during a National Socialist Movement (NSM) neo-Nazi rally in Orlando, Florida. The event was marred by Brown's chants of "No More Jews" and "White Power," Hitler salutes and signs displaying hateful messages such as "Jews Aren't White" and "It's Okay to be Antisemitic". The trio physically attacked a Jewish student named David Newstat, who was punched, spat on, and pepper-sprayed after Brown took notice of Newstat’s Israeli flag license plate cover.

The following day, on January 30, 2022, the group raised Nazi flags and displayed banners over an Orlando freeway overpass, displaying offensive messages like "Vax the Jews" along with swastikas and references to the GDL website.

A few days later, the Orange County Sheriff's Department arrested the three participants — Jason Brown, Joshua Terrell, and NSM's Burt Colucci — for their central roles in the antisemitic hate crime against David Newstat. All three were charged with battery along with a hate crime enhancement amplifying the gravity of the offense. Brown faced additional charges of grand theft for the act of stealing and destroying Newstat's cell phone. His bond was denied after a judge recognized his pending unrelated charges, underscoring the seriousness of his actions beyond the antisemitic rally incident.

Photo: A witness cell phone captures the brutal assault of Jewish UCF student David Newstat

As of May 2023, Brown was awaiting trial in Florida on three charges: felony battery by strangulation, tamper in felony life, and contempt of court misdemeanor.

Last month, Jason Brown was arrested yet again and charged with domestic battery, aggravated assault by strangulation, and felony tampering. This is Brown's second recorded instance of strangulation.

As an emblem of hatred and violence, Jason Brown's disturbing actions highlight the importance of combating hate speech and extremist ideologies in our communities. The ongoing efforts to bring him and his GDL accomplices to justice serve as a reminder that intolerance and bigotry have no place in our society. It is clear that national legislation is needed nationwide to combat bigots like GDL.

Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are opinion based on a review of publicly available information. To the extent one may believe there are any matters presented as facts that require correction, email us at [email protected] with a link to the material you are reporting and specific information as to why you believe the material is factually inaccurate. General disagreements with opinion are not subject to review and/or correction.