(OTTAWA) An act of vandalism in front of the Russian embassy in Ottawa by three young men who were standing near a car with diplomatic license plates is on the radar of the police authorities. The Congress of Ukrainian Canadians is outraged, and Minister Mélanie Joly is “following the matter closely”.
Posted at 5:26 p.m.
The incident was reported late Tuesday evening on Twitter by a resident of the federal capital.
“Three Russians spraying black paint on a yellow and blue bicycle in front of the embassy. Looks like vandalism, in my opinion,” wrote Peter O’Neil in a tweet posted to the Ottawa Police Service.
The photo accompanying his comment shows three men in front of the Russian Embassy building in Ottawa on Charlotte Street. They are near a vehicle with diplomatic plates, easily recognizable by their red color.
The police force that was arrested is looking into the matter.
“The Ottawa Police Service is aware of a publication […] regarding a bicycle in the 200 block of Charlotte Street. We consult with relevant partners and stakeholders. No complaints have been filed with the police at this time,” an email wrote.
The Russian Embassy did not respond to questions from The Press, nor has the Embassy of Ukraine communicated any reaction to this event. On the other hand, the Congress of Ukrainian Canadians did not hesitate to express its anger.
“This is an outrageous act, and the presence of a car with diplomatic plates raises serious questions as to who was involved and on whose orders this act of destruction and hatred was committed,” the group blasted. in a press release on Wednesday.
Saying it was “disgusted” by this “act of vandalism”, the organization demanded the expulsion of the Moscow ambassador, Oleg Stepanov – a request that the Trudeau government never wanted to accede to, saying it wanted to preserve its own diplomatic presence in Russia.
The office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, reacted with some caution: “Any act of vandalism or hatred is unacceptable and has no place in Canada. We are aware of the case of vandalism in front of the Embassy of the Russian Federation and we are following the case closely”.
The bike that was covered in black paint was originally yellow and blue, in the colors of Ukraine. It had been set up in front of the Moscow embassy by local pro-Ukrainian activists. The letter Z (a symbol of support for the Russian army) was inscribed on the pole to which it was attached.
The Russian Embassy in Ottawa is located on Charlotte Street.
The thoroughfare has been temporarily renamed “Free Ukraine” by the City of Ottawa.