A slew of neo-Nazi graffiti was found in several locations in a Canadian city on June 29, including on a park slide.
CTV News reported that the graffiti on the slide consisted of two swastikas and the words “Heil Hitler,” “[Joseph] Goebbels” and “Anne Frank” on the slide at Berczy Park in downtown Barrie. Eight other locations in the city had similar swastika graffiti, including the exteriors of various businesses.
A 50-year-old male suspect has been arrested in connection with the vandalism. The graffiti has since been removed.
Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman condemned the graffiti in a tweet.
“Disgusting act of anti-semetic [sic] and racist vandalism,” he wrote. “I’m glad the perpetrator has been arrested. A further example of why as a community we need to make a collective effort to fight hate and discrimination.”
Disgusting act of anti-semetic and racist vandalism. I'm glad the perpetrator has been arrested. A further example of why as a community we need to make a collective effort to fight hate and discrimination. https://t.co/gpDhvryY2S
— Jeff Lehman (@jedi_lehman) June 30, 2020
B’nai Brith Canada tweeted, “Thank you to @Mayor_Jeff and @BarriePolice for dealing with this heinous #hatecrime swiftly with an arrest and by removing the anti-Semitic graffiti.”
Thank you to @Mayor_Jeff and @BarriePolice for dealing with this heinous #hatecrime swiftly with an arrest and by removing the antisemitic graffiti. https://t.co/PTjaCzyzhR
— B'nai Brith Canada (@bnaibrithcanada) July 1, 2020
The graffiti comes after a sign in Toronto stating, “Jews are owners! Not occupiers!” was vandalized and the word “not” was removed. Simon Wiesenthal Center Executive Director Rabbi Meyer May said in a statement, “This is a very disgusting effort to promote age-old anti-Semitic canards that Jews exert nefarious economic control and are occupiers and usurpers. The sign is located in an area with many Jewish residents, and surely many Jewish passersby noticed the sign and were horrified and threatened by its hateful message.”
