The mayor of Nanaimo, B.C., is calling out vandals who defaced the iconic sign bearing the city’s name.
The letter “O” on the Nanaimo sign in Maffeo Sutton Park is normally painted in rainbow colours, but someone repainted it white on Monday.
It’s not clear what the vandals’ motivation was, but Mayor Leonard Krog said he believes it may be because the multi-coloured O resembles a logo used by the World Economic Forum.
“It may be the anti-World Economic Forum conspiracy crowd who think the diversity colours represent some secret connection with the WEF, which is absolute bunk and garbage.”
The colours in the O are actually a representation of diversity, Krog said.
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“The colours on the O of Nanaimo represent diversity. It is a message to the world that Nanaimo is a welcoming, accepting community for everyone, regardless of colour, ethnicity, orientation, whatever distinction you may wish to make,” he said.
“And if you resent diversity, with great respect, you are living in the wrong country.”
Krog said the vandalism was in particularly poor taste, coming just a day after the same park was the site of a gathering of locals and Americans invited to town in the spirit of friendship amid tensions with the U.S.
“It was just as stupid thing to do and a damn dumb time to do it,” he said.
It’s not the first time the sign has been defaced.
Last year, someone spray-painted the sign, also with a message opposing the WEF.
The white paint has since been removed.
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