Police in Ontario are investigating the spray-painting of a monument to Nazi soldiers as a hate crime, a decision that has drawn criticism from human rights advocates. The cenotaph, located in St Volodymyr Ukrainian cemetery in Oakville, was defaced with the words “Nazi war monument” around 21 June.
The monument commemorates the 14th SS Division, a unit of Ukrainian nationalists who fought alongside Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Members of the division are believed to have committed atrocities against Polish civilians and Jewish people.
Halton Regional Police stated they are treating the incident as hate-motivated, suggesting the graffiti targeted the Ukrainian community rather than Nazis. “At no time did the Halton regional police service consider that the identifiable group targeted by the graffiti was Nazis,” the force said in a statement, apologising for any misunderstanding.
Bernie Farber, chair of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, expressed disbelief at the investigation, calling it “dumbfounding” and offering to educate officers on hate crimes. The controversy comes amid broader debates in Canada over monuments linked to racist legacies, including statues of British general Edward Cornwallis and former prime minister John A. Macdonald.
