The Official Opposition Ontario NDP Black Caucus released the following statement in response to Toronto police arresting and charging a man in relation to two nooses found at a construction site at Michael Garron Hospital:
“It is incredibly important that hateful acts like this and the grave, violent threat they present be taken seriously. This crime was hate-motivated and hate crime charges should absolutely be laid in this case.
This goes far beyond mischief and harassment. Nooses have a clear, painful, meaning and context to Black communities. They represent the very real threat of lynching – of murder and white supremacist terror. This is what the perpetrator of these crimes intended to invoke and evoke.
Toronto police have noted that this arrest is part of a ‘hate-motivated mischief and criminal harassment’ investigation that includes multiple similar incidents at other Toronto construction sites. This context is important. This cowardly act was not an isolated event – there were seven nooses found on GTA construction sites over just a few months in 2020.