A man has been arrested in Halifax after six incidents of racist graffiti aimed at the city’s Jewish community.
Halifax Regional Police (HRP) said Wednesday that Gezim Topalli, 31, was taken into custody the previous day. He is facing charges of mischief related to religious property, property damage and public incitement of hatred.
The graffiti was discovered over the weekend, and in three of those cases, was written directly on synagogues. The other graffiti was found on nearby sidewalks.
Get breaking National news
Police released a photo of a possible suspect on Monday, and the police chief credits the public for helping with the investigation.
“I am pleased with the outcome of this investigation. While I credit the quick and thorough work of HRP’s hate crime investigator, I also want to thank the public who came forward to help identify the suspect,” Chief Don MacLean said in a statement.
“The swift and seamless collaboration between police and the community represents our city taking a strong and unified stance against the promotion of hatred.”
In a statement earlier this week, Mayor Andy Fillmore said he was “appalled” by the defacing of synagogues.
“Attacking places of worship is unacceptable. It has no place in Halifax,” he wrote.
“We are living in a time when conversations about identity, history, and justice can feel overwhelming and divisive. But we cannot allow that complexity to collapse into hate here at home.”
Comments