Symbols of hatred spray-painted on north London. playground sparked a police investigation.
The playground is located in Thistlewood Drive City Park, next to Mother Teresa Catholic School.
The students at the school were among the first to encounter the images. These include dozens of swastikas and at least one racial insult.
“Oh, my God, my God!” Was the first reaction of four students who entered the park. When CTV News arrived, the black students noticed the word N drawn inside the playground equipment.
“People still have this type of mentality and people still think that way!” Said Davina Kazadi.
“I don’t feel so safe anymore, for example, if I meet someone who paints it one day,” said Daniel Cabongo.
As detectives filmed the scene of the investigation, London Police Chief Steve Williams issued a statement. In part, it reads, “We are discouraged to learn of this condemnatory incident, especially given the symbolism behind the hateful images and words depicted and the fact that it includes playground equipment.”
CTV News London first contacted a concerned passer-by on Tuesday morning about the symbols of hatred, and CTV News reported that an officer later toured the neighborhood.
Meanwhile, back at the playground, Lucy Kim continued to shake her head at what she saw on Tuesday morning, later telling CTV News that she was a recent immigrant.
“It’s awful. I hadn’t heard of racist people here, but I didn’t know it,” Kim said.
A longtime resident of the area added: “It’s very unpleasant, why do people do this? I just do not know.”
The scene leaves student Bernice Casadi wondering who is responsible. If he’s an adult, she says it would be scary. If children, she wonders what prompted them to play.
“If children do that, where does this mentality come from?” “Parents need to start teaching their children in good ways,” she said.
The symbols and words of hatred are numerous and spread throughout the structure. City crews were spotted on Monday afternoon at the playground to begin cleaning work to remove symbols of hatred.
“We would like to thank the members of the community who brought this to our attention. The London Police Service condemns all acts of hatred and violence against individuals or groups in our community. We will continue to investigate in depth all incidents of this nature and impose charges as appropriate, “Williams added.
Police say there are no suspects so far, and officials are urging members of the public to come out and contact them if they have any information that could help with the investigation.
The incident comes just days after a multicultural mural in Elmer, Ont. he was impersonal.
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