Ottawa's Terry Fox Statue Was Reportedly 'Appropriated' With An Upside Down Flag

Photos and videos appearing to show Ottawa's Terry Fox statue and Tomb of The Unknown Soldier being "appropriated" and "disrespected" have surfaced online during the ongoing Freedom Convoy protests.

A viral image, shared via Twitter, shows a statue of Terry Fox with an upside-down Canadian flag and a placard that read, “MANDATE FREEDOM.”

In a tweet, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson described it as “completely unacceptable” and confirmed that he’d ordered the flag and placard to be taken down by city staff.

Brad West, the mayor of Fox’s hometown of Port Coquitlam, B.C., also spoke out via Twitter, saying, “Whatever your cause, you don’t get to appropriate his legacy and you don’t touch his statue. Ever.”

After losing his right leg to cancer, Terry Fox set off on his famous cross-Canada Marathon of Hope in 1980 to raise money for cancer research. While he died before finishing the marathon, he continues to be an honoured figure across Canada.

While The Terry Fox Foundation did not directly respond to the images of the statue, they did share a message on Saturday that read, "Terry believed in science and gave his life to help others."

The convoy is a protest that has been taking place in Ottawa since Saturday. Those involved are demonstrating against government-mandated COVID-19 vaccines, lockdowns and other pandemic-related health measures.

On the same day, a video circulated online that appears to show protesters jumping on the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier.

The tomb is a monument to those in the Canadian Armed Forces and holds the remains of an unidentified Canadian soldier who was killed in World War 1.

In response, Head of the Canadian Armed Forces, General Wayne Eyre, said, "I am sickened to see protesters dance on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and desecrate the National War Memorial."

"Those involved should hang their heads in shame," he added.

Eyre’s comments were later retweeted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has reportedly been moved from his Ottawa home to an undisclosed location in the National Capital Region.

Organizations like The Royal Canadian Legion and Canadian Victoria Cross also released statements related to Saturday's events, condemning the “disrespect” and asking for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to be treated as sacred ground.

Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole said, "The individuals desecrating these memorials should be ashamed."

He added, "Their behaviour undermines the brave Canadians who have sacrificed for our country.”

On Sunday, Ottawa police confirmed several criminal investigations "in relation to the desecration of the National War Memorial/Terry Fox statue" are now underway.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

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