ELMHURST, IL – The city of Elmhurst estimates it received 30,000 emails last month about a group’s controversial plan to show a film critical of the Israeli government.
Opponents of the film labeled it antisemitic. In September, Patch wrote a story about the dispute.
In an email to Patch on Friday, city spokeswoman Kassondra Schref said the emails were similar in content, but from unique addresses.
She said Elmhurst Public Library also received thousands of emails, though she did not provide an estimate. The library’s director did not return a message for comment Friday.
Last month, the Chicago Tribune reported the Northbrook Public Library received 8,000 emails and hundreds of calls asking to cancel a group’s presentation of a documentary titled “Israelism.”
The library then required the group to pay for security and insurance, but organizers declined, the newspaper reported. As a result, the screening was canceled.
In Elmhurst, a group planned to show the same documentary, “Israelism.” After an outcry, the group decided on a different film.
Patch asked for a message that the Elmhurst city administration sent to aldermen about the massive number of emails. But Schref said Patch should file a formal Freedom of Information Act request to get the document. Patch did so.
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