Trudeau condemns pepper spray attack at Vancouver event for Syrian refugees
By Rafferty Baker & Karin Larsen
CBC News | January 9, 2016
A crowd of refugees attending a welcome event at the Muslim Association of Canada Centre in Vancouver was pepper sprayed by an unknown man on a bicycle.
It happened outside the centre on the Kingsway near Victoria Drive around 10:30 p.m. as the event was winding down and the group of newcomers to Canada was waiting for a bus.
This incident drew condemnation from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.
« This isn’t who we are, » Trudeau said in a tweet. Robertson, also on Twitter, described the incident as a « disgusting display of hate. »
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) sees the attack as potential hate crime.
« This is an act of cowardice condemned by all Canadians of conscience. We call on local authorities to investigate this assault as a potential hate crime so a clear message is sent that such abhorrent acts have no place in our communities, » said NCCM Board Chair Kashif A. Ahmed, a Vancouver-based lawyer….