Winnipeg police are probing two hate-motivated crimes: antisemitic graffiti at a synagogue and vandalism at a Palestinian café, both causing fear and damage in the city.
Winnipeg Police Investigate Hate-Motivated Crimes
Winnipeg police are looking into two hate-motivated crimes. These include swastikas drawn on a Winnipeg synagogue and graffiti targeting a Palestinian restaurant owner.
Insp. Jennifer McKinnon stated that the hate crimes unit of the major crimes division is handling the cases. The incidents were reported on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
“Within a matter of days, the Jewish community and Palestinian communities have been impacted by incidences that appear to be motivated by hate, but certainly cause fear and harm,” McKinnon said during a news conference on Monday.
“Hate-motivated crimes [have] no place in our community.”
Details of the Incidents
| Date | Time | Incident | Location | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 2 | 4:30 a.m. | Vandalism with swastikas | Shaarey Zedek synagogue | N/A |
| Jan. 2 | N/A | Suspicious bag discarded | Synagogue parking lot | N/A |
| Jan. 4 | 5:23 a.m. | Window smashing | Habibiz Café | $5,000+ |
On Friday, January 2, at about 4:30 a.m., police reported that a man vandalized the Shaarey Zedek synagogue on Wellington Crescent. Antisemitic graffiti, including swastikas, was painted on the property, which has a child-care centre.
The individual who reported the vandalism informed police on Sunday that the same person had left a suspicious bag in the synagogue parking lot. McKinnon noted that the bag posed no risk to the public.
On Sunday, at 5:23 a.m., surveillance footage captured a person breaking windows at Habibiz Café, a Middle Eastern restaurant on Portage Avenue. This caused over $5,000 in damage. The individual did not enter the building but left a threatening message outside.
Owner Ali Zeid stated that the message accused him of being a terrorist and told him to leave the country. “My father came here 50 years ago, so to see this happen, it’s sad, it’s very sad. But it made us stronger because the way the public has been coming in and sharing their support with us has been amazing,” he said.
Members of a synagogue gathered in solidarity for Sabbath, despite the antisemitic graffiti spray-painted on a wall on Friday. “Luckily people are resilient…. If they want to intimidate us, it’s not going to happen,” they said.
McKinnon mentioned that police do not believe the two incidents are connected. She also noted an increase in reported hate crimes in Winnipeg over the past two years.
“We cannot be casual bystanders for [these] type of incidents that are happening in our community,” McKinnon said. “We are all part of this community and we are requesting if you have any information regarding either of these occurrences or any occurrence that you report it to the Winnipeg Police Service.”
Mayor Scott Gillingham expressed in a social media post on Sunday that “an attack on a place of worship or a local family business is an attack on the safety of every citizen.”
