Police investigate vandalism of Pride crosswalks as hate crime
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The newly painted Calgary Pride and Transgender Pride crosswalks were vandalized this week, less than a month after the permanent crosswalks were unveiled at the popular downtown intersection at Stephen Avenue and Centre Street.
The Calgary Police’s hate crimes co-ordinator is investigating the incident.
“As vandals targeted these specific crosswalks there are reasonable grounds for police to suspect a hate-motivated crime. Police are investigating and canvassing the area for CCTV footage and witnesses,” police said in a statement.
Sandon Hansen of Zoom Painting, the company that painted the crosswalks, said the words “Lust” and “Lost” were written on the two crosswalks, one word on each. Hansen said he thinks the words have a religious connotation to them.
He said they expected vandalism at the intersection considering the meaning and location of the LGBTQ-supportive paintings.
“It was a bigger deal than we thought it would be. The amount of hate was shocking but support was 10 times more,” said Hansen.
The company’s creative director expected the crosswalks to be restored by early afternoon Wednesday, with painters working on erasing the vandalism immediately.
City of Calgary spokesman Sean Somers said they aren’t sure when the vandalism occurred but are working on identifying the culprit through video surveillance from the area.
He said a handful of businesses have cameras pointing toward or near the busy intersection and are working with the city. They hope to charge the person responsible, with help from Calgary police.
“We’re going to dig in and see if we can track down who did it,” said Somers. “Any type of vandalism, not just on the Pride crosswalk, costs all of us in the end. We’re having to remove that graffiti and things that have defaced city property.”
Somers said it’s particularly disappointing considering the Pride Parade is just weeks away.
“I feel like it’s 2019. Let’s move on from this type of behaviour,” he said. “I feel like as a city we are better than that. I don’t think that type of behaviour and those actions are representative of the city of Calgary as a whole.”
The celebratory crosswalks were created following efforts of CalgaryPride, Calgary Queer Arts Society, Centre for Sexuality, Skipping Stone Foundation, Treaty 7 Dyke and Trans March and Voices, in addition to support from area councillors Druh Farrell and Evan Woolley and the City of Calgary roads department.
Zoom Painting also installed a permanent Pride crosswalk at Mount Royal University in 2018.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Calgary Police Service non-emergency line at 403-266-1234 or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.calgarycrimestoppers.org
Twitter: @alanna_smithh
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