Vandalism of Komagata Maru memorial investigated as possible hate crime, say police
Police in Vancouver are investigating the vandalism of a public memorial as a possible hate crime.
Over the weekend, CTV News Vancouver reported the Komagatu Maru memorial in Coal Harbour was defaced with white paint.
"Front-line officers and other specially-trained investigators worked throughout the evening yesterday, and will continue to gather evidence in this disturbing crime," Sgt. Steve Addison said in a new release.
"This investigation is a priority, and we are committed to finding out who is responsible and why they did this."
The large metal placards list names of would-be refugees from India who were turned away in Vancouver in 1914. Canadian officials have since apologized for the incident.
Vancouver police said an investigation was launched Sunday after officers saw media reports and photos of the vandalism posted online. Anyone with information should call police at 604-717-0613.
"This monument is an important memorial to the people who traveled here seeking a better life and were wrongfully turned away because of racist policies," Addison said.
"It is disheartening that someone could show such disrespect to this important memorial, and we’d like anyone with information to come forward."
Raj Toor, spokesperson for the Descendants of Komagata Maru Society, said the memorial had been vandalized at least two times before.
In December 2013, a man was caught urinating in front of the storyboard, triggering outrage amongst the community.
At the time, police said the man had mental health issues and therefore, did not face any criminal charges.
In May 2014, just before the centennial anniversary of the Komagata Maru incident, the memorial was defaced with graffiti.
Toor said if people were held accountable in the previous incidents, it may have prevented this latest act of vandalism.
“People see that, ‘Oh, you know, last time nobody (was) charged here.’ And they do it again and again and again,” he said.
He has sent a request to the city, asking that surveillance cameras be installed to prevent vandals from targeting the memorial.
Jindi Singh, who was visiting from Vancouver Island, went to visit the memorial over the weekend. His great-great-uncle was one of the nearly 400 passengers on the ship.
"From a distance, we couldn’t tell if it was part of the memorial," Singh told CTV News.
"Then, as we came closer, we saw paint on the floor, handprints all over the names, we saw some kind of symbolism in the corner there, and we realized somebody had come and defaced it, and this isn’t the first time this has happened."
In a statement from the City of Vancouver Sunday, officials said they were upset by the incident and that a graffiti removal team was on its way. By Monday morning, the memorial was clean.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Tessa Vikander
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.