The election campaign signs of two Jewish Canadian politicians in Montreal were defaced with swastikas.
MPs Rachel Bendayan, who represents Outremont, and Anthony Housefather, who represents Mount Royal, both shared photos on Tuesday of their vandalized election signs.
“Whatever your political views, spreading hateful and violent messages is not the way to go. We’ve seen the road that the politics of the far right leads us to in the US and around the world. That is not us. That is not our Canada,” tweeted Bendayan.
“Pretty sad to see anti-Semitism hitting the campaign on Day 3. I can assure whoever did this that no swastika is going to scare me or stop me from speaking up for Jewish Canadians,” wrote Housefather.
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) denounced the vandalism in a statement on Tuesday.
"It is absolutely sickening to see this vile antisemitism targeting Jewish election candidates in Montreal," said Michael Levitt, president and CEO of FSWC.
"There's no place for this Jew-hatred in the city of Montreal or anywhere else in Canada. This symbol of hate and genocide must be rejected by all Canadians, regardless of where one stands on the political spectrum," he added.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) also condemned the vandalism.
“The vandalism of campaign signs in the ridings of Outremont and Mount Royal is totally unacceptable. Every candidate, regardless of their party affiliation, has a right to run for office without having to face hateful symbols and messages,” it said.
Montreal police have been made aware of the incidents.