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White supremacist banner has BԪַno place in Campbell RiverBԪַ BԪַ RCMP

RCMP asking people to report similar incidents immediately
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A banner was seen on the Airport Main overpass near Campbell River on Aug. 14. Photo supplied

A banner hung on an overpass south of Campbell River depicting a white nationalist statement is BԪַnot something we want our community to be known for,BԪַ says RCMP Sgt. Chris Voller.

The banner, which displayed a link to a Telegram Channel, which the company says is a BԪַtool for broadcasting your public messages to large audiencesBԪַ 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.

BԪַLike any other citizen of our area, I was disappointed,BԪַ said Voller. BԪַI look at Campbell River as having a pretty diverse cultural background. We have a lot of Indigenous people, weBԪַre a melting pot society, we have all this representation and then thereBԪַs somebody who is deciding to put this kind of message out.

BԪַItBԪַs twofold: itBԪַs the wrong message BԪַ obviously that sort of thing has no place in Campbell River BԪַ and then two, to other individuals who are visiting our area it really reflects poorly on what I think Campbell RiverBԪַs community base is,BԪַ he said. BԪַItBԪַs a good, respectful group of people that finds that different cultures actually enrich community and donBԪַt take away from it, as that person would purport.BԪַ

VollerBԪַs sentiment was echoed on social media. One Reddit user wrote in response to a person of colour living in Campbell River that BԪַthis 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.BԪַ

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.

BԪַWe would never promote a driver using a digital device, but if they could note if thereBԪַs a person or vehicle present there, we would value that,BԪַ he said. BԪַIf they are able to wait with it, let the police know and weBԪַll get there as soon as possibleBԪַ Please leave it as it is, let the police get there and handle it. It would be treated as evidence.BԪַ

Though the social media attention could have the effect of increasing the messageBԪַs reach, Voller said that within Campbell River he thinks there is BԪַno appetite for that.BԪַ

BԪַPeople deserve to not have to see that. ThereBԪַs enough tragic things going on in the world that draw our attention to negative things, we donBԪַt need this in Campbell River,BԪַ he said. BԪַThis is the first time IBԪַve seen something that I believe is a race-based hate crime. ItBԪַs hard to say if this would meet the definition for a hate crime, but itBԪַs certainly inflammatory. ItBԪַs racialized, and not anything that we would want to have in our community.BԪַ

BԪַOur community has gone through a lot,BԪַ he said BԪַWeBԪַve 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.BԪַ

The RCMP non-emergency line is 250-286-6221.

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Marc Kitteringham

About the Author: Marc Kitteringham

I joined Black press in early 2020, writing about the environment, housing, local government and more.
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