Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Vancouver Island, British ColumbiaiStock

In the latest instance of repeated swastika vandalism occurring during the Canadian federal election, incumbent NDP candidate Rachel Blaney’s campaign signs and office were defaced with the Nazi symbol.

Blaney, the candidate for the North Island-Powell riding on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, saw multiple signs vandalized with swastikas in Campbell River and along Highway 19A.

And on Friday night, the windows of her office were vandalized with graffiti, including swastikas, using red and black spray paint. Her name on her signs was also covered over, reported Victoria News.

“It’s very disheartening,” Blaney told Vancouver Island Free Daily. “This is a very evil symbol of hatred and I am distraught that this is being done to signs. We need to stand up where ever we see hate rear its ugly head.”

Many of the over half dozen candidates in the riding have seen some of their signs physically damaged, stolen and graffitied, but Blaney was the only candidate in the area to report that her signs had been tagged with swastikas.

Blaney said that her campaign volunteers will be removing the swastikas from the signs.

“Defacing signs, especially with hate, is something I think we should all say, 'That is not okay,’ ” Blaney said.

She added that she was “very sad and disappointed.”

She told the Victoria News: “Obviously the signs spray-painted on our office are offensive and hateful. My team will have to clean up this mess – our community is better than this. We will come together and continue the important work of fighting for the riding.”

Canada’s federal election, which was called in mid-August, has seen multiple instances of candidate’s election signs vandalized with swastikas.

B’nai Brith Canada has previously noted that anti-Semitic incidents appear to increase in Canada during provincial and federal elections.

On August 26, it was reported that Randeep Sarai, the candidate in Surrey, British Columbia was the latest victim of the incidents.

Earlier in August, the election signs of Jewish politicians in Montreal, Quebec were defaced with swastikas.

Several days later, Leah Taylor Roy, who is running in Aurora–Oak Ridges–Richmond Hill, a riding north of Toronto, shared photos of a campaign sign defaced with a swastika and the word “Nazi.”

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)