Kelowna, BC police are investigating a racist attack in which a Sikh security guard was verbally assaulted by a protester.
The incident occurred outside of a COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Tuesday.
Kelowna RCMP says they initially responded to complaints from protesters blocking access to the clinic.
“The officers present spoke to the staff and dealt with the demonstrators,” said Cpl. Jocelyn Noseworthy says in a press release emailed. “There were no arrests at the time.”
A short video has since been circulated on the internet showing one of the protesters verbally abusing a Sikh security officer with racist slurs.
The security guard appears to intervene between the protester and another person and tells the protester to leave the property.
Then he is verbally abused with a series of insults and is supposed to “shut up” and “go back” [his] Country.”
The suspect tells him several times that he is not Canadian and “does not know Canadian law”.
RCMP says the suspect has been identified in the video and that a full investigation is underway.
“We are now investigating this incident through the lens of willfully promoting hatred under Section 319 of the Criminal Code,” added Noseworthy.
“Racism has no place in our community and I want to assure the public that this matter will be given the full attention of our General Investigative Support Team in consultation with the Provincial Hate Crime Unit.”
Anyone who has watched the incident and has not spoken to the police is asked to call the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300.
Comments are closed.