'Our children don't need to see this': Residents shocked after parks hit with hateful graffiti

'Our children don't need to see this': Residents shocked after parks hit with hateful graffiti

Neighbours concerned after Winnipeg parks tagged with messages using homophobic slurs, targeting India

WARNING: This story contains references to homophobic and violent graffiti messages.

South Winnipeg residents say they're hurt and disturbed after some areas in their neighbourhood were covered in graffiti using hateful language, including homophobic slurs.

Paved pathways going across the Eaglewood Park in the Prairie Pointe neighbourhood were tagged with several violent messages, including some using violent and homophobic language.

At least 20 could be seen at the park Sunday, mostly acronyms. People living in the area said two other parks had also been targeted.

Winnipeg police said Monday they are investigating.

Jasmine Brar with the Prairie Pointe Neighbourhood Association said Sunday she felt hurt something like this has happened in what's a very diverse community.

"There's no room for this hate and I will not tolerate this. It's not acceptable," Brar said.

"They are not just words. There's huge, big bad message behind them."

Brar — who's among five candidates running to become city councillor in Waverley West along with Nafiya Naso, Uche Nwankwo, Yuanchao Li and Antar Banik — said she learned about the graffiti at Eaglewood Park Sunday morning.

"F--- India" was among the spray-painted messages. Brar, who is from India, said she feels particularly disturbed as an immigrant living in the neighbourhood.

'Terrible example for the youth'

Vipul Prajapati, also originally from India, said the messages are concerning for an area where there are many people from South Asian descent.

"Someone writes these things if they mean it. They just don't write [them] for fun," Prajapati said, adding that the situation should be worrying for everyone in the neighbourhood.

Carrissa Reyes, who's lived in the area for nine years, said several dozen children come to the park any given day.

"This is setting a terrible example for the youth," Reyes said.

"It's scary to know that this is happening so close to home. Scary to know that there's people out there that are openly writing these messages around."

Reyes said her family saw similar hateful messages spray-painted in the park last year.

"Our children don't need to see this," she said. "We don't need our beautiful area turning into this."

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She said she would like to see them removed as fast as possible.

Waverley West Coun. Janice Lukes said she's put a request for city crews to go remove the graffiti, but that it may take until Tuesday at the earliest since it's a long weekend.

Lukes said they periodically have to deal with racist graffiti at the targeted parks.

"it's just beyond disrespectful that people will deface public property, and it's horrific that they put racist comments on it," said the councillor, who's not seeking re-election this fall.

Waverley West MLA David Pankratz said this kind of hate has no place in the province.

"It's scary stuff when this when this happens in communities," he said.

"Ultimately I want [area residents] to know that they're not alone. There are far, far more Manitobans and Winnipeggers and folks in Waverley who stand with them than against them."

Winnipeg police did not respond to a request for comment before publication.

Homophobic slurs, violent language spray-painted in Winnipeg parks

With files from Santiago Arias Orozco