Council candidates call out vandalism after campaign signs defaced in Waverley West

A council candidate in Waverley West said she will not be intimidated after 16 of her campaign signs were vandalized this week — some with apparent gang symbols.

Nafiya Naso is the second candidate in the ward whose signs were defaced this month. Jasmine Brar, who is also running for the council seat, had some of her signs broken on Friday along Kenaston Boulevard and signs near Naso’s that were also defaced on Saturday.

Earlier this month, Eaglewood Park in the nearby Prairie Pointe neighbourhood was also vandalized with graffiti that included homophobic slurs, anti-India messages and repeated references to “3LK” — a symbol Naso believes is associated with a gang.

Naso’s signs, located along Waverley Street near Tim Sale Drive and across from École South Pointe School in southwest Winnipeg, were spray-painted with apparent gang signs, crude drawings and other messages, including “loser” and “Ur not winning” written across her name and photograph.

The Winnipeg Police Service confirmed Naso reported the vandalism, but provided no other details. Brar said she will be filing police reports on both incidents.

Naso is asking anyone who witnessed the vandalism or has video or other information to contact police.

“This is bigger than a campaign sign,” Naso told the Free Press Saturday. “This is about what kind of community we want to be. People can disagree with me. That’s democracy, but vandalism and intimidation are not.

“The fact that 16 signs were targeted in one location, and more concerningly, directly right across from an elementary school, should be a concern for all of us,” she said, adding her children attend École South Pointe.

Naso, who is Yazidi and whose family is from Iraq, said the graffiti resembles a gang tag that has appeared elsewhere in Waverley West over the past two years. She said the vandalism raises concerns about possible racism.

She said she’s disappointed but will not be intimidated.

“This will not silence me,” said Naso, who is a former consultant to current Waverley West Coun. Janice Lukes. “It will not stop me from showing up for Waverley West.

“I have a responsibility to the people who have encouraged me to run and I’m not going to let vandalism take that away.”

Lukes, who is not seeking re-election, has endorsed Naso to replace her as councillor in the ward.

“It’s beyond disappointing that, with everything happening in our world and the challenges facing our city, someone has chosen to make graffiti and vandalism their focus,” Lukes said. “Very sad.

“We can disagree, we can debate, but we should always treat each other with respect and dignity.”

Brar told the Free Press some of her volunteers were out Saturday morning cleaning up her vandalized signs. She said the neighbourhood is better than this.

In a Facebook post, she said the coming election “is a competition, but it is not a war.”

“I have real respect for everyone running for this seat, and no matter which sign gets vandalized, whether it is mine or someone else’s, it is wrong. Waverley West deserves a campaign built on ideas, not vandalism, and I stand with every candidate on this one.”

Antar Banik, another council hopeful in the ward, condemned the vandalism. He said he hopes residents speak up, rather than normalizing it.

“I strongly condemn the vandalism and disgusting graffiti …,” he said in an email.

“This is not political debate or free expression, it is intimidation, harassment and vandalism.

“This kind of conduct does not represent the respectful and welcoming community that Waverley West should be. Whoever is responsible should be held accountable if they are identified.”

Naso said the damaged signs will be replaced, but they haven’t been taken down yet, adding she’s waiting to hear back from police.

“This election should be about ideas, leadership and the future of our ward and city — not whether someone feels safe putting up a campaign sign,” she said. “We can disagree politically and still treat one another with dignity and respect.”

Five candidates have registered to run in the race to lead Waverley West, where Lukes is not seeking re-election.

Uche Nwankwo and Yuanchao Li are also running for the council seat.

Election day is Oct. 28.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca