CCTV footage released in anti-Syrian, anti-Trudeau graffiti spree
CBC News | Posted: February 26, 2016 6:58 PM | Last Updated: February 26, 2016
Repeated vandalism calling for violence being investigated as hate crimes, police confirm
Calgary police have released CCTV footage and are asking the public for help in identifying suspects in several cases of school graffiti that involved messages urging readers to "kill" the prime minister and telling Syrian refugees to "go home and die."
"The Calgary Police Service takes the anti-Syrian and anti-Trudeau references seriously and is investigating accordingly," police said in a statement, adding that the incidents are being investigated as hate crimes.
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The series of incidents occurred at two schools and a community rink in the southeast community of Queensland.
The first case of hateful graffiti was found on Feb. 14 when a passerby noticed the anti-Syrian and anti-Trudeau messages scrawled in black paint on Wilma Hansen Junior High School.
Police released this security-camera video of that incident:
Then, at about 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 18, police said "unknown offenders" broke two windows and spray-painted similar graffiti on Haultain Memorial Elementary School, also located in Queensland.
That same night, the Queensland Community Association and Rink was struck with yellow paint spray paint on the south wall of the community hall, a nearby utility trailer, and a large storage container.
Later on that same night, around 3:45 a.m., police said "unknown offenders" also smashed several windows at Wilma Hansen Junior High School.
Finally, more anti-Syrian and anti-Trudeau graffiti was spray painted on Wilma Hansen Junior High School, sometime between 4 p.m. on Feb. 19 and 9:15 a.m. on Feb. 20, according to police.
Police said they have stepped up their patrols in the area since the incidents.
Anyone who was in the area at the time or has information about these incidents is asked to contact police at 403-266-1234, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.