The Prince Albert Police are looking to identify individuals who vandalized a Pride flag on a downtown business on July 19.
A pair of individuals were captured on video surveillance at a local business in the downtown area on July 19, around 8 p.m.
Alex Zahara, the Chair of Prince Albert Pride said that he is not really surprised to see this kind of vandalism.
“I think these are sort of the actions and attitudes that have become a lot more commonplace. I think a lot of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has definitely increased in the last year or so,” Zahara said.
According to the Facebook post by Prince Albert Crime Stoppers further investigations by police identified that the two subjects had approached the building and defaced a Pride flag Sticker. It appears that one of the subjects had use his phone to take a picture or video record the damage.
Zahara said that the act was also unfortunate because it attacked a Pride flag.
“It’s an attack on symbols that are really important to our community that let folks know that you can come here. You can be safe, you can be yourself. And obviously it was also upsetting to the business owner, hence why they reported it,” Zahara said.
The second of two men suspected of vandalism at a Prince Albert business.
One of two suspects accused of vandalizing a Pride Flag at a local business.
Zahara explained that placing the Flag by any business is a nice act of allyship.
“We definitely encourage other businesses who would like to put up stickers to do so. It really is important, important symbols for us to see and our appreciated,” he explained.
“This act certainly has the markings of a hate crime. However, it’d be hard to speculate on the motivations until those responsible are identified. Police would like to speak with them,” a post on the Prince Albert Crime Stoppers social media page said.
Zahara explained that something that has created the environment where vandalism like this is encouraged is the political climate.
“I think definitely the political rhetoric has increased towards anti-LGBTQ. One of the main issues that we’ve been super concerned about has been the Parents Bill of Rights, Bill 137 that was passed last year that prevents youth from being able to use their chosen name or pronouns in the classroom without (parental) permission,” Zahara said.
He explained that the language around that policy has come from the anti-LGBTQ movement over the decades.
“Politicians have definitely, I think amped up the rhetoric within our particularly our local provincial elected officials,”
Prince Albert Pride followed the lead of Regina Pride and banned all Saskatchewan Party MLAs from participating in Pride events in July, which Zahara said showed that the organization was proactive on the issue.
Zahara said that PA Pride has called on local elected officials to denounce actions like these.
“We have called on our local MLA’s to denounce transphobia and to denounce homophobia, queerphobia and specifically their supporters calling, referring to us as groomers or as pedophiles, engaging in any sort of actions like scratching off the applied flag, just letting people know that that’s not acceptable. And so far we haven’t heard any denouncements from our current elected local officials,” Zahara said.
If anyone has any information about the Mischief and/or can identify the persons below, call police at 306 953 4222 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip to http://www.p3tips.com/248
