London MP's office vandalized twice in three weeks

On the same day London's religious leaders came together calling for a stand against hatred in response to the war in Gaza, a local member of parliament's office was vandalized for the second time in three weeks.

The office of Liberal MP Peter Fragiskatos, who represents London North Centre, was sprayed with red paint on Thursday evening, a spokesperson from his office said.

"Protest is one thing, but vandalism is quite another. While I understand that there is a great deal of hurt in our community right now and across the country about what is taking place in the war between Israel and Hamas and the effect that had on civilians, vandalism is not excusable," Fragiskatos said.

Previously, Fragiskatos's downtown office was sprayed with ketchup at the same time a large protest calling for a ceasefire in Gaza was passing by on Oct. 22. Fragiskatos attributed both incidents to reaction to his and the Liberal Party's decision to not call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

"That red paint was meant to symbolize the blood of Palestinian civilians," said Fragiskatos.

Across the country, tensions have risen, with acts of antisemitism and Islamophobia having significantly increased, alongside animosity toward elected officials, whose stances on the conflict have a wide range.

On Thursday, a group demanding that Justin Trudeau call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war occupied the hallway outside his Papineau riding office for seven hours, live-streaming the event on social media, before being forcibly removed by police.

Fragiskatos worries that kind of confrontation could be what's next for him.

"Are they going to break the windows or ransack the office? Are they going to kick the door in or visit my house or the home of staff members?" he said. "This is not something that I should be thinking about, but I'm thinking about it today, and I'll continue to think about it in the days to come."

Acts of vandalism directed toward him and other politicians are the result of a misunderstanding of what kind of change Canada is capable of affecting on the world stage, Fragiskatos said.

As a middle power, it's very unlikely Israel or Hamas would listen to, or even acknowledge calls for a ceasefire made by the Canadian government, he added.

"What we can exert influence on is humanitarian aid, ensuring that Palestinian civilians who have been impacted have access to vital needs, food, water, medicine, ensuring that Canada is part of the discussion and helps to carry that out.".

In the future, Fragiskatos hopes those who take issue with his stance will reach out for discussion, rather than resorting to vandalism.

"I find hope in the fact that the vast, vast majority of Canadians are moderate in their perspective and do not endorse acts of vandalism and violence," he said.

"If I can take any hope in things going forward, it is that recognition."

Police have confirmed they are investigating the incident. The investigation into the previous incident of vandalism against Fragiskatos' office is ongoing as well, according to Cst. Matthew Dawson, a spokesperson for the London Police Service.