TORONTO (February 13, 2018) - Friends of Simon WiesenthalCenter (FSWC) denounces antisemitic and racist graffiti that was discovered on ahistoric structure in Toronto’s Beach neighbourhood.

Graffiti including a swastika, the words “Hail Hitler” andanti-Black slurs was spray painted on the Leuty Lifeguard Station.

“It never ceases to amaze me that someone would think it’sacceptable to deface community property with such hateful messages,” said FSWCPresident and CEO Avi Benlolo. “This type of antisemitism and racism cannot betolerated in our neighbourhoods, particularly as we recognize Black HistoryMonth and continue to see Jewish and Black communities being the most targeted in hate crimes.”

After reaching out to Toronto Police Service, FSWC haslearned that this is the only incident reported in the area and that police areinvestigating the incident as a hate crime.

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For more informationor to speak directly with Mr. Benlolo regarding this incident, pleasecontact: 

Avital Borisovsky  
Communications Associate  
416.864.9735 x 29  
aborisovsky@fswc.ca

Follow us on Twitter at @CanadianFSWC 

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Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) is a top Jewish human rights foundation in Canada's organized Jewish community. It directly impacts over 100,000 people each year and 500,000+ peripherally. FSWC is committed to countering racism and antisemitism and to promoting the principles of tolerance, social justice and Canadian democratic values through advocacy and educational programs including workshops, Freedom Day, Spirit of Hope Benefit, Tools for Tolerance and the widely acclaimed Tour for Humanity. FSWC is affiliated with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international Jewish human rights organization headquartered in Los Angeles which has won two Academy Awards, has built two Museums of Tolerance (with a third being built in Jerusalem) and is an NGO at the United Nations, UNESCO, OAS, OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament. Visit us at www.fswc.ca. 

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