A message in bright, neon orange spray paint that read, “Hitler was right,” was discovered on a concrete barrier on Highway 400 near Vaughan Mills Mall in York Region, north of Toronto, on Sept. 1.
York Regional Police were called to investigate and work crews arrived on scene to remove the anti-Semitic graffiti Friday morning.
According to a press release, police were called at 8 a.m. to respond to the graffiti that was seen on the side of the ramp coming from Bass Pro Mills Drive, while going south on Highway 400.
Hate crime investigators are calling for witnesses, or anyone with dash cam footage, to come forward.
“York Regional Police will not tolerate hate crime in any form. These kinds of crimes not only hurt the community that has been targeted, but they hurt us all. We take great pride in being one of Canada’s safest and most inclusive communities and we remain vigilant in our fight against prejudice, discrimination and hate in our community,” the police said in a statement.
Avi Benlolo, president and CEO of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies (FSWC), also arrived at the scene to document the incident.
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In a video uploaded to the FSWC Facebook account, Benlolo called on the government to recognize and act on the increase in anti-Semitic incidents across the province.
“There is an incredible amount … of anti-Semitism here in our community, here in our province of Ontario. We’re asking the government, the attorney general of Ontario, to please take these matters seriously, prosecute them as a hate crime and deal with it. I’m happy to see the police are here dealing with it, I’m happy to see its being removed, but you can’t just erase hate so easily and simply,” Benlolo said.
He called on concerned members of the community to visit to sign a petition titled “Stand Up To Hate.”
The petition, addressed to Ontario Attorney General Yasir Naqvi and
Assistant Deputy Attorney General Susan Kyle, states that “white supremacism and Nazism is having a resurgence.” It cites the speakers at the recent Al-Quds rally at Queen’s Park who threatened to annihilate the Jews and Israel; Your Ward News, an anti-Semitic publication that’s being distributed in parts of Toronto; and the increase in hate crimes in Ontario.
It calls on Naqvi and Kyle “to take immediate action in prosecuting hate crime and in replying effectively to community concerns.”
Aidan Fishman, interim national director of B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights, said “2016 was the highest year on record for anti-Semitic incidents in Canada” since the group began recording incidents in the mid-1980s.
“We don’t have the full numbers for 2017 yet, as the year hasn’t ended, but unfortunately, we’re not seeing a break in that trend,” Fishman said. “It’s disturbing to see more and more incidents like this.”
Sara Lefton, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs’ vice-president of the Greater Toronto Area, said CIJA was “disgusted” by this incident.
“CIJA commends the York Regional Police’s quick action and their dedication to keeping our community safe. Hate crimes such as these are an affront to all those who share Canada’s values,” Lefton said.