One Count of Offence Motivated by Hatred

"While I wanted to draw attention to the incident, I wanted to focus more on their response."

"These kids are warriors ... Instead of fear and intimidation, these kids have responded with courage and pride and that's what our community needs right now." 

"I'm furious [that the community had to] deal with this garbage. [It made my] blood boil [but I felt] unbelievable pride [in my daughters and their friends]."

Father of two Jewish Western University students 

Police have charged a 56-year-old London man. (Michelle Both/CBC)

 

London, Ontario has become yet another antisemitic hotspot for Canadian Jews beleaguered since 7 October 2023, by festering, viral hatred from unions, university student groups, far-left anti-social groups and in particular the combustible spark that lit these fires, Palestinian students studying in Canadian universities with funding from abroad enabling them to launch never-ending anti-Israel protests that champion Palestinian terrorist groups as 'liberators' from 'occupation'. 

 

Two Jewish students in the city attending Western University, and living in university housing specifically for a majority of Jewish students off campus in downtown London were witness to an incident where a man from a local construction site used a commercial chemical oil-based spray to draw a large Nazi swastika on the ground before their housing complex. His actions were viewed by many, including non-Jews in the neighbourhood, some of whom took videos of the occurrence.

 

The father of the two students who reported the event to news media, mentioned in very particular how buoyed he felt over the fact that non-Jewish neighbourhood allies gave their full support to the Jewish students over the hateful outrage. He posted a video of the event to Instagram of the swastika drawn next door to his daughters' home.   

"To those who believe they can frighten Jewish students into hiding their identity, I've got news for you. You're dealing with the wrong generation."

"[Rather than victims] our kids are growing up to be warriors."

"Warriors of courage. Warriors of conviction."

Jewish father  

Ring camera footage captured by a property on St. George Street in downtown London shows a man drawing a swastika onto the surface of a gravel parking lot. (Submitted by Darren Slavens)

 

A police statement described having been informed that a man "completing construction work" in the city had used workplace equipment to create the hateful Nazi symbol. Nearby residents who had taken photographs and videos of the incident as it unfolded, provided police with the evidence required to track down the identity of the man and apprehend him with commission of a criminal act.

 

Which led to the arrest on October 23 of a 56-year-old resident of London who was charged with one count of offence motivated by hatred.  

"Chabad at Western's Rabbis arrived on the scene within minutes to support Jewish students and ensure they felt safe and cared for."

"They immediately contacted the London Police Service and the hate crime unit to help emphasize the urgency and seriousness of the incident, contributing to a swift police response."

Local Jewish groups joint statement