Community centre tagged with hate symbols

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This article was published 02/01/2025 (307 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Several swastikas were spray-painted onto a Charleswood community centre and surrounding buildings over the final days of Hanukkah.

Brent McNeil, president of the Westdale Community Centre, said he came across at least five of the symbols, painted along with the initials “M.K.Y.,” on doors and walls around the building Thursday morning and contacted the police and 311.

He said swastikas and “MKY” were spray-painted on the building last month and cleaned up by the city within 24 hours.

“It’s been kind of an ongoing situation around here. It’s awful. It’s terrible,” he said. “It doesn’t belong in the community centre. It’s hatred, it’s unacceptable.”

Social-media posts documented the graffiti at Westdale in early December and again Tuesday. Hanukkah began Dec. 25 and ended Thursday.

“All I can do is condemn what they’ve done,” McNeil said. “It’s so disappointing, within the Christmas and the Hanukkah season, for people to be doing this.”

McNeil said he doesn’t believe the community centre is being targeted. The hateful graffiti has cropped up around the Charleswood neighbourhood, he said.

“Hopefully, this guy gets caught, and this can finally stop in this area,” he said.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca