Pride flag burning and theft from Ontario school under OPP investigation - BERITAJA

One week aft a Pride emblem was burned astatine an Oxford County school, a replacement emblem has been stolen, Ontario Provincial Police say.

OPP officers opportunity they were notified about mischief to a flagpole astatine Emily Stowe Public School successful Norwich connected Sunday.

The nighttime before, about 10:30 p.m., investigators opportunity 2 suspects attended the schoolhouse connected Jerdon Street, trim down a metallic flagpole and removed a Pride flag. Police opportunity the suspects past fled towards Stover Street.

Police are searching for 2 antheral suspects who look to beryllium successful their precocious teens aliases early 20s. One of them is described arsenic having a bladed build and was wearing a light-coloured shirt, bluish shorts and dark-coloured boots. The 2nd personification is described arsenic having a bladed build and was wearing a light-coloured hat, a achromatic T-shirt and bluish pants.

Five days prior, OPP were notified of mischief astatine the aforesaid nationalist school.

Investigators opportunity about 11:30 p.m. connected June 1, 2 suspects attended the school, removed a Pride emblem and lit it connected fire.

OPP Const. Randi Crawford told BERITAJA that while the fishy descriptions disagree slightly, investigators are considering the 2 incidents to beryllium related.

Following the first enactment of vandalism, Oxford County prison guard Marcus Ryan said he was profoundly saddened.

“While a emblem could beryllium replaced, the connection down an enactment for illustration this cannot beryllium ignored,” he wrote successful a connection to the community. “It was an effort to intimidate and exclude group for simply being themselves.”

Oxford County Pride said successful a connection connected societal media that some incidents are a “direct attack” connected the information and belonging of the community.

“This isn’t elemental spot damage. It is simply a deliberate, coordinated run to intimidate our organization and target 2SLGBTQIA+ youth,” the statement said connected societal media Sunday. “​They could destruct a flagpole, but they cannot break our committedness to protecting and supporting 1 another.”

Anyone pinch accusation aliases surveillance footage of either incident is asked to interaction police.