Toronto police are investigating after antisemitic graffiti was located outside of schools in three areas of the city.
In a tweet Wednesday afternoon, Toronto Police Chief James Ramer said the force received three reports of antisemitic gaffiti outside schools in three different divisions.
“We are investigating and our specialized Hate Crime Unit is engaged,” Ramer said in the release.
He said hate crimes are a “top priority” for the Toronto police.
“And we are committed to combatting hate in our city,” Ramer wrote.
In an email to Global News, a spokesperson for the force, Const. Alex Li, said the incidents are being treated as “hate-motivated.”
Li said officers received a report at around 8:30 a.m., on Wednesday regarding antisemitic language on the outside of Central Technical School.
Hours later, at 10:05 a.m., Li said the force received another report of antisemitic language on the outside of Rosedale Heights School of the Arts.
A few minutes later at 10:20 a.m., Li said the force received another report that antisemitic language was found on a container on the grounds of Malvern Collegiate Institute.
According to Li, due to the similarities in each incident, investigators are “exploring whether they are linked.”
In a statement emailed to Global News on Wednesday, Toronto District School Board (TDSB) spokesperson Ryan Bird said the “hateful vandalism appears to have occurred overnight.”
“We are working with Toronto Police to provide any assistance that we can as they continue to investigate these incidents which are harmful and completely unacceptable on or off school property,” Bird said in the email.
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The news comes after several other schools in the city have reported antisemitic incidents in the last few weeks.
On Feb. 8, it was reported that two students depicted swastikas and performed the ‘Hitler’s salute’ in front of classmates at a North York middle school.
The same day another middle school said it had put a teacher on home assignment after they allegedly likened the forced wearing of the Yellow Star of David during the Holocaust to COVID-19 restrictions.
What’s more, it was reported that antisemitic graffiti had been found at another middle school and that students had performed the ‘Hitler salute’ to their Jewish French teacher.
Last week, the TDSB said it would be providing more education about the Holocaust to its students in middle and high schools as a result of the influx of antisemitic incidents.
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