A pride crosswalk in Nanaimo that was defaced Saturday morning is being considered a hate crime by RCMP.
The crosswalk, painted in 2016 by the LGBTQ2+ community in Nanaimo, at the intersection of Bastion and Commercial streets was vandalized at around 4 a.m. Saturday, according to police.
“Considering that the crosswalk was painted to recognize the LGBTQ2+ community in Nanaimo, this incident is being treated as a hate-motivated mischief,” said Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
Police say that while the defacing itself wasn’t captured on video, images of a man walking with a can of paint and a brush towards the crosswalk between 3 and 4 a.m. were captured. Police are considering the man as a suspect.
Police describe the man as being in his mid-thirties, with short dark hair wearing a black medical face mask, black shoes, light coloured shorts and a black t-shirt.
Nanaimo RCMP asks anyone with information to call Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345 and quote file #2021-24453.
READ MORE: Two men arrested after rainbow crosswalk vandalized with homophobic slurs at Royal Bay school
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