A banner hung on an overpass south of Campbell River depicting a white nationalist statement is 含羞草研究社渘ot something we want our community to be known for,含羞草研究社� says RCMP Sgt. Chris Voller.
The banner, which displayed a link to a Telegram Channel, which the company says is a 含羞草研究社渢ool for broadcasting your public messages to large audiences含羞草研究社� as well as a message with white supremacist content, was pictured hanging on the Airport Main overpass where it crosses Highway 19. The image has been shared on Facebook as well as Reddit, and had come to the attention of the Campbell River RCMP detachment.
含羞草研究社淟ike any other citizen of our area, I was disappointed,含羞草研究社� said Voller. 含羞草研究社淚 look at Campbell River as having a pretty diverse cultural background. We have a lot of Indigenous people, we含羞草研究社檙e a melting pot society, we have all this representation and then there含羞草研究社檚 somebody who is deciding to put this kind of message out.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 twofold: it含羞草研究社檚 the wrong message 含羞草研究社� obviously that sort of thing has no place in Campbell River 含羞草研究社� and then two, to other individuals who are visiting our area it really reflects poorly on what I think Campbell River含羞草研究社檚 community base is,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a good, respectful group of people that finds that different cultures actually enrich community and don含羞草研究社檛 take away from it, as that person would purport.含羞草研究社�
Voller含羞草研究社檚 sentiment was echoed on social media. One Reddit user wrote in response to a person of colour living in Campbell River that 含羞草研究社渢his is DEFINITELY not what CR is about. A group of my friends drove down to take it down, but it was already cut. Please know that you are more than welcome in our community.含羞草研究社�
Voller said the detachment had another report about this kind of thing a few months ago. He is asking if people see further banners or messages like this to report them to the RCMP non-emergency line immediately.
含羞草研究社淲e would never promote a driver using a digital device, but if they could note if there含羞草研究社檚 a person or vehicle present there, we would value that,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚f they are able to wait with it, let the police know and we含羞草研究社檒l get there as soon as possible含羞草研究社� Please leave it as it is, let the police get there and handle it. It would be treated as evidence.含羞草研究社�
Though the social media attention could have the effect of increasing the message含羞草研究社檚 reach, Voller said that within Campbell River he thinks there is 含羞草研究社渘o appetite for that.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淧eople deserve to not have to see that. There含羞草研究社檚 enough tragic things going on in the world that draw our attention to negative things, we don含羞草研究社檛 need this in Campbell River,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭his is the first time I含羞草研究社檝e seen something that I believe is a race-based hate crime. It含羞草研究社檚 hard to say if this would meet the definition for a hate crime, but it含羞草研究社檚 certainly inflammatory. It含羞草研究社檚 racialized, and not anything that we would want to have in our community.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淥ur community has gone through a lot,含羞草研究社� he said 含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝e had a lot of issues, especially in the past few months with violence and this sort of thing, and this is just not becoming of our community.含羞草研究社�
The RCMP non-emergency line is 250-286-6221.
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marc.kitteringham@campbellrivermirror.com
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