A Calgary man has been charged in connection with the placement of white supremacist stickers in a locker room at a public recreation center in southeast Calgary earlier this year.The incident occurred on Friday, January 5, at the MNP Community and Sport Centre located at 2225 Macleod Tr.An individual gained access to the public facilities and affixed stickers promoting white supremacy to lockers in a public locker room. Upon discovery, the centre's staff promptly removed the stickers and notified law enforcement.After an extensive investigation, including the review of CCTV footage and interviews with staff at the centre, authorities identified and charged one individual in relation to the incident.Mark Lloyd Pearson, 50, of Calgary, has been charged with one count of mischief, which has been deemed to be hate-motivated."We have seen similar stickers promoting white supremacy attached to objects in public locations across Calgary," said Acting Sgt. Matt Messenger of the Calgary Police Service Hate Crime Prevention Team ."Calgary is the third most diverse city in Canada and these stickers are purposefully placed in locations where the public can easily see them in order to leave people feeling unwelcome and like they don’t belong. This is unacceptable, and we will continue to hold those responsible accountable."Hate-motivated crimes, including acts of vandalism such as this, are recognized as offences in which the offender is motivated by bias, prejudice, or hate based on one of nine personal characteristics of the victim. The Calgary Police Service encourages the public to report any instances of hate-motivated crimes they witness. Reporting can be done through www.reporthate.ca, where individuals can find information on how and why to report such incidents.
A Calgary man has been charged in connection with the placement of white supremacist stickers in a locker room at a public recreation center in southeast Calgary earlier this year.The incident occurred on Friday, January 5, at the MNP Community and Sport Centre located at 2225 Macleod Tr.An individual gained access to the public facilities and affixed stickers promoting white supremacy to lockers in a public locker room. Upon discovery, the centre's staff promptly removed the stickers and notified law enforcement.After an extensive investigation, including the review of CCTV footage and interviews with staff at the centre, authorities identified and charged one individual in relation to the incident.Mark Lloyd Pearson, 50, of Calgary, has been charged with one count of mischief, which has been deemed to be hate-motivated."We have seen similar stickers promoting white supremacy attached to objects in public locations across Calgary," said Acting Sgt. Matt Messenger of the Calgary Police Service Hate Crime Prevention Team ."Calgary is the third most diverse city in Canada and these stickers are purposefully placed in locations where the public can easily see them in order to leave people feeling unwelcome and like they don’t belong. This is unacceptable, and we will continue to hold those responsible accountable."Hate-motivated crimes, including acts of vandalism such as this, are recognized as offences in which the offender is motivated by bias, prejudice, or hate based on one of nine personal characteristics of the victim. The Calgary Police Service encourages the public to report any instances of hate-motivated crimes they witness. Reporting can be done through www.reporthate.ca, where individuals can find information on how and why to report such incidents.
