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Police are investigating a “hate”-filled incident at a midtown park after swastikas were scrawled on posters of hostages taken during the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
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Toronto Police confirmed that a probe into graffiti found at Cedarvale Park was underway, which was brought to light by the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center and others on social media on Tuesday afternoon.
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“We are aware of the incident and a report has been completed,” Const. Ashley Visser said in an email to The Toronto Sun. “The investigation is currently ongoing.”
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center President and CEO Michael Levitt was among those to raise the alarm about the incident in a post on X on Tuesday morning, saying there is “no justification” for such an act “anywhere.
“What kind of sick monster vandalizes posters of kidnapped and murdered people, including babies and kids, w/ a swastika?” the former York Centre MP posted on X above four pictures of some of the defaced posters. “Are there no limits to the hate in our city?”
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Mayor Olivia Chow called the graffiti a “vile act,” adding that “I condemn anti-Semitism in our city.
“My office has been in contact with Parks, Forestry, and Recreation,” Chow said in response to Levitt’s post on X. “They will quickly remove the vandalized posters.”
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The incident came to light just hours after Toronto Police and Toronto Crime Stoppers launched a hate crime awareness campaign with an aim toward deterring and eliminating “acts of hate that are negatively impacting local communities.”
Posters and public service announcements will be part of the campaign, Toronto Police said in a news release.
“The impact of hate crimes on our communities is powerful, destructive and deep,” said Nick Migliore, a member of the Toronto Police Service Board. “We commend Toronto Crime Stoppers and the Toronto Police Service for their continued efforts to aggressively expose and pursue any suspected incidents of hate-motivated behaviour and we call on members of the public to bring hate crimes to light.”
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