A Kelowna man who made national headlines when he was caught on video unleashing a racist tirade outside a COVID-19 clinic last summer has now been charged.
Court records indicate that Bruce Oryzduk faces a charge of causing a disturbance “using insulting or obscene language” at the Trinity Church vaccine clinic on July 13.
Oryzduk had been caught on video spewing racially charged comments at a security guard who asked him to leave the church.
In the video, he can be heard telling the guard, “Shut up. Go back to India. You’re not Canadian, you’re disgusting.”
Anmol Singh, a 23-year-old South Asian immigrant, lived in Kelowna for four years before falling victim to that tirade.
He had hoped RCMP would move ahead with a charge for the willful promotion of hatred but was told recently that any potential for hate charges had been dropped.
It was only today that he learned that the disturbance charge was going through.
“I felt a little bit bad earlier when the (pursuit of) charges got dropped for a hate crime but he was charged with something,” he said. “I believe in the justice system…I’m not really happy but I am glad the charges are there. ”
He’s also managed to find some good from the high profile attack.
“I got support from the community and people reached out across Instagram and Facebook, I appreciate that they did that,” he said.
“Even Premier John Horgan called me and he offered support and said how he and the vast majority of British Columbians have my back. I think the community supports me and I feel good about that.”
RCMP held a news conference on Wednesday about the incident, as well as another that happened on Remembrance Day when a woman disrupted the gathering to talk about COVID restrictions.
“On November 11, 2021, Kelowna RCMP officers responded to a report of 75 to 100 demonstrators at the Cenotaph in Kelowna,” RCMP said in a press release. ”
“Ceremonies across the city had been restricted due to the pandemic; however, members of the public as well as veterans gathered to remember. Demonstrators allegedly interrupted the assembly and RCMP officers attended to keep the peace.”
Linda Denise Jackson was charged Tuesday with disturbing order or solemnity of meeting for that episode.
“There is no tolerance for hate! We committed from the onset to complete thorough investigations into these separate incidents,” Insp. Adam MacIntosh, Operations Officer for the Kelowna RCMP said. “We support a person’s right to protest but it is not absolute. I want to thank the hard work of our investigators to bring these cases before the BC Prosecution Services and the courts”.
Orydzuk has also been charged with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm relating to an incident with a Kelowna journalist on Aug. 26, 2021. His next court appearance on that charge was set for Wednesday.