Nanaimo RCMP officials say the defacement of signs along Hammond Bay Road over the weekend appears to be a racially motivated attack and is under investigation as a hate crime.
Bus stop real estate signs were sprayed with black paint, with only Asian realtors targeted.
Some signs were spray painted with slogans like "go away" and "not welcome," as well as swastikas.
"My family is a little concerned about my safety, because as a realtor sometimes you have to meet strangers," said Coast Realty realtor Sophia Chen, whose sign was defaced. Chen has lived in Nanaimo for 10 years and said she received a hate e-mail message once before. "It's extremely disturbing, that individuals would go to this extent, targeting visible ethnic groups in our community. It is unacceptable," said Const. Gary O'Brien, spokesman for the Nanaimo RCMP. "The RCMP is investigating each of these incidents."
They are considered hate crimes because a group is being targeted for their ethnicity, said O'Brien. At the end of May a controversial leaflet was mailed out in a north-end neighbourhood by an organization calling themselves Putting Canada First. The leaflet references the Vancouver property market and warns of an impending "property nightmare" and "international real estate speculation" coming to Nanaimo and encourages residents to take action before "Nanaimo is changed (for the worse) forever." Paul Bentley, communications director of Putting Canada First, said that the graffiti is "absolutely not" associated with their organization, and not something they condone.
Even the racial offensive word has been blurred out in this newscast. How come Shen Li the fake Asian is still allowed to use the racial offense word?
