Ontario Resident Sparks Protest By Mowing Backyard Swastika (PHOTO)
One particular piece of lawn work sparked a protest in an Ontario town over the weekend. Residents in Amherstburg were left disgusted after a man showcased a hate symbol on his property. A homeowner's choice to mow a lawn swastika in his yard hit headlines after a neighbour shared a photo of the lawn.
An angry neighbour uploaded the images onto social media on Saturday, June 6. Ultimately, about a hundred protestors showed up outside his home, where the issue was peacefully resolved.
According to CTV News, the house located on 106 Victoria St. S., around 30 km from the border city of Windsor, saw crowds chanting “no justice, no peace” and “black lives matter” outside the home on Sunday, June 7.
The day prior, local resident Ashley Meloche shared pictures of the lawn onto her Facebook.
She stated that she'd debated whether to upload them because she didn't want to give the culprit much attention.
However, she decided that given the heightened racial tensions around the world right now, ignoring it wouldn't help anything.
"And in light of everything going on in the world, shaming the bullies and calling people out for their disgusting behavior is not only my responsibility to help end hatred, but it also seems to be the only catalyst to change," shared Meloche in her Facebook post.
"I did call the Windsor Police non-emergency line and was told that unfortunately, as disgusting as this is, he is within his legal rights," she added.
According to CTV, the homeowner meant the symbol to represent "peace and prosperity"
“That symbol meant peace and prosperity. So, I used the wrong one. I apologize. I didn’t mean to offend anybody,” said the man, referred to as "Claudio."
The swastika symbol is widely recognized in connection with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. According to BBC News, the symbol is also used in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
Windsor Police subsequently paid the homeowner a visit and the symbol was removed.
Meloche told Narcity that after a peaceful discussion with protestors, they agreed to end the action right then and there.
A swastika has been used to deface Canadian political signs in the past, even during this recent election.
It was also found at a Toronto high school relatively recently, too.
Meanwhile, in an incident this weekend with racism at the forefront of the global conversation right now, a man showed up in blackface to a protest at Nathan Philips Square.
Before he was taken into custody and reportedly arrested, the man managed to take pictures with those holding signs.