Key Takeaways
- Graffiti found on a Fairview mosque overnight.
- VPD adds patrols, reviews surveillance video.
- Hate charges possible if evidence supports them.
Found on Patrol in the Early Morning
Vancouver Police are investigating after disturbing graffiti was sprayed across the front doors of a mosque in the Fairview neighbourhood overnight.
Officers on proactive patrols in the 800-block of West 8th Avenue early Friday morning were approached by a maintenance worker at Al Masjid Al Jamia Mosque, who reported the graffiti: the words "UK BLOOD IS ON YOUR HAND" spray-painted across the mosque's front doors.
Officers immediately began an investigation and searched the area for evidence, including surveillance video. Investigators are working to identify the person responsible, and VPD has added additional patrols in the area.
Police: hate charges possible — if the evidence supports them
"This type of incident has a significant impact on the people who gather to worship and connect with their community," said Sergeant Adam Donaldson.
"We want to reassure the Muslim community that these acts won't be tolerated, and if the evidence supports hate crime charges, we will pursue them."
Police have not identified a suspect, laid any charges, or formally classified the incident as a hate crime — that determination waits on the evidence, including the surveillance footage officers are now reviewing.
Anyone with information, dash-cam or surveillance footage from the area is asked to contact the Vancouver Police Department.
The Twikup Take
A place of worship is where a community is supposed to feel safest. Whatever investigators conclude about motive, the message worked as intimidation — which is why the patrols, and the public appeal for video, matter more than the paint.
Image: Illustrative image.