Damage to Pride flag, crosswalk in Hope investigated as hate crime
RCMP are investigating a hate crime after someone smashed a window at Hope Community Services and tried to light a Pride flag on fire early yesterday morning.
Firefighters and RCMP officers were dispatched to the fire at the non-profit agency in the 400 block of Wallace Avenue in Hope at around 3 a.m. yesterday, June 8, according to an RCMP media release.
The offices’s front window was smashed out by a rock and the suspect, or suspects, tried to light a Pride flag displayed in the window on fire. The Pride crosswalk outside, which was painted recently, was also defaced with homophobic slurs.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the small blaze quickly before it could spread through the building.
The office will be closed for a few days for repairs and cleaning.
"The flag hardly sustained any damage but the office sure did," reads a post on the agency's Facebook page. "Give us a few days and we will be back to people helping people again."
Community services offers support and services to children, families, seniors and individuals including early years, food resource and community support programs.
“Hateful actions such as these incidents have no place in this community,” Hope RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Mike Sargent said in the release. “We should be focusing on the positives that Pride month is providing in the community and not disrespectful acts like these.”
Anyone with information on this incident is urged to contact Hope RCMP at 604-869-7750 or to remain anonymous call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
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