’Disgusting’ posters being investigated by police

The Winnipeg Police Service major crimes unit is investigating what some have labelled offensive and hateful posters on full-display at a Winnipeg home.

One of the people irked by the display is Gracie Garrett. She’s has lived on Ashburn Street in Winnipeg’s Minto neighbourhood for almost ten years. She’s never felt unsafe in the neighbourhood before, but now, a set of posters plastered on a nearby house are making her feel uneasy.

The five signs, posted facing the street prominently on a front window, contain a slur, refer to Nazis as “heroes” and call Muslims, Christians and other groups “evil.”

Learning of the signs Friday, Garrett said she’ll be reporting the posters to police, as she worries they incite and promote violence.

“I’m just really shocked honestly,” said the 36-year-old. Adding later: “I don’t understand how something like that wouldn’t be hate speech.”

On Saturday afternoon Winnipeg Police Const. Stephen Spencer said in an email police are aware of the posters. He could not provide further information, as a police investigation is ongoing.

She’s never interacted with people at the house where the signs are posted, but said it’s the last thing she wants to see from her porch, as the signs are visible from her home.

“It makes me feel really sad that there is someone so hateful who lives so close to me,” she said.

Garrett said the posters have no place in Winnipeg.

She feels diversity is one of the city’s strengths, many of her friends and co-workers are newcomers and immigrants.

“I don’t want those types of people to feel unsafe in my city,” she said. “I want them to feel welcome.”

She isn’t alone in her concerns.

Officials with B’Nai Brith, a prominent Jewish Human Rights group in Canada, said the signs incite hate and violence.

“These posters are absolutely disgusting,” Richard Robertson, B’Nai Brith Canada’s director of research and advocacy told the Free Press Friday.

“There is no place for them in a multi-cultural or diverse society and the residents in this neighbourhood have every right to be alarmed.”

Robertson said he feels the signs should be investigated by police and that charges should be laid if police deem it warranted.

“This is absolutely the type of thing that needs to be investigated as hate speech,” Robertson said, noting B’nai Brith Canada will be reviewing the incident and contacting police as well.

The Free Press knocked on the door of the house where the posters are located and asked about concerns being raised by neighbours.

A man who answered the door, but would not provide his name, said: “none of this is any of your business.”

When asked about the signs causing offence, he said he didn’t care.

“I don’t care if they take offence. It’s freedom of speech. I don’t give a s—t about this other crap.”

The man declined to answer questions about why he had the signs posted, but when asked what he’d say to people who are feeling unsafe, he said: “Then they should grow up.”

“It’s just words,” he said. “There’s a lot of negative things said about anything. There’s nothing in this world that’s not seen as negative by somebody.”

Asked specifically if he’d remove the signs if asked to do so, he said: “No.”

“Leave the property,” he said.

Robertson, from B’nai Brith, takes issue with the man’s remarks that the posters fall under freedom of speech.

He said in this instance the signs “crossed the line” and caused harm to several communities.

“No one has a right to do that,” Robertson said. “No one has a right to incite, or invoke fear or to intimidate individuals in their own neighbourhood.”

morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca