A 46-year-old man was charged after the National Holocaust monument in Canada was vandalized earlier this month.
The Ottawa Police Service said on Friday in a press release that the man was accused of a mixture of a war memorial, a mischief exceeding $ 5,000 and harassment by threatening driving.
The man should appear in court on Saturday.
On June 9, the words “feed me” were found scribbled in red paint on the face of the monument, with red paint also splashed on other parts of the structure.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “dismayed” by vandalism and that the monument is a space for mourning and memory.
The Ottawa Police Service indicates that the investigation by its crime unit of hatred and bias is continuing.
Richard Marceau, vice-president of external affairs and general lawyer for the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said that the monument is an important national symbol, especially at this moment of “increased anti-Semitism”.
“It was particularly vile to see him vandalized and degraded,” said Marceau, adding that he was grateful that the police reacted quickly. “This is why it is so important and it is essential that the authorities and the police attach this hatred and this incentive, harsh and rapid.”
– With David Baxter files
& Copy 2025 the Canadian press