Police say they’re conscious a house in Kitchener was displaying a flag with “offensive symbols.”
On Monday, a number of stories have been made to police concerning the flag at a house in Kitchener. Images and movies despatched to Ontario Chronicle and shared on social media present it is a pink, white and black flag that includes a swastika on the entrance of a single-detached dwelling.
Ontario Chronicle went to the neighbourhood on Thursday and noticed that the flag has been eliminated.
Police say they launched an investigation after receiving the stories.
“Members of our Fairness, Range and Inclusion Unit have been in dialogue with members of the group who’ve been impacted by the symbols displayed on the flag,” Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) stated in a launch.
“We perceive that the presence of any image related to hate may be deeply offensive. WRPS is dedicated to addressing any illegal behaviour.”
Displaying the swastika is just not prohibited underneath the Prison Code.
The police service additionally famous that folks have the suitable to freedom of expression underneath the Canadian Constitution of Rights and Freedoms, however “offensive expression, rooted in hate, [has] no place in Waterloo area.”
Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic says he realized concerning the flag from residents who raised issues with him.
“As a group, we stand in opposition to these actions or symbols that aren’t in line with love, inclusivity and a way of belonging for all,” he stated in an emailed assertion.
He stated the flag “symbolizes hatred and one of many darkest durations within the historical past of our planet.”
“Whereas we acknowledge that as Canadians, all of us have the suitable to freedom of expression underneath the Canadian Constitution of Rights and Freedoms, offensive expression, rooted in hate, has no place in Kitchener, in Canada or wherever,” he stated.
