Police continue to investigate vandalism in Liverpool in January as mischief, but say they are mindful the acts may amount to a hate crime – a position Lunenburg Pride says they should officially adopt.
The Queens District RCMP responded to a report of vandalism at the Liverpool Tourism Bureau on Jan 9.
Black spray paint covered the Progress Pride flag-painted stairs with anti-LGBTQ+ speech and prominently tagged the side of the building.
Darlene Norman, Mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality, addressed the incident on Facebook the following afternoon, calling the events an “act of hatred.”
The Queens District RCMP released a statement on Jan. 13 saying they are investigating “mischief.”
Steve Ellis, the Chair of Lunenburg Pride, says, “Calling it that on its own is misleading and belittling”.
Ellis says investigating the evidence as a hate crime would act as a deterrent, and “show that the police appreciate the LGBTQ+ community and will do the right thing when something like this happens.”
As of Jan. 26, the RCMP reports not receiving any tips.
“The offence being investigated at this time is mischief, however, our investigators are mindful that this incident may amount to a hate crime,” says Cpl. Chris Marshall of the Nova Scotia RCMP.
“Investigations are guided by the evidence and information that our investigators collect, and if charges are laid, the totality of the investigation will determine whether hate crime charges are appropriate.”
Although this incident occurred only a day after the annual South Shore Pride Spiel, Ellis says Lunenburg Pride is not worried about the future of Pride events.
“We don’t want to focus on this negative issue for too long,” says Ellis.
We can look forward to many Pride events in 2023 to show solidarity for the 2SLGBTQ+ community on the South Shore, hopefully including the return of drag queen storytime at the Bridgewater Library.
