TORONTO(December 21, 2017)- Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is incredibly disappointed thatPuslinch council members have voted against changing the street name SwastikaTrail. The township’s council voted 4-1 in favour of keeping the name during ameeting yesterday evening.

“As wecontinue to witness the swastika being used to express hate against the Jewishcommunity, as well as other minority groups, changing the name of the streetshould have been a obvious step to take,” said FSWC President and CEO AviBenlolo. “It’s disappointing that residents and council decided it isappropriate to have such a street name today. Regardless of its origins, theswastika will always be associated with the Nazis and the horrific genocidethat resulted in the deaths of millions of people.”

Thecouncil reportedly did not want to overstep the democratic actions taken byresidents, referring to a vote that took place in November by the neighbourhoodassociation where a majority of residents called for keeping the name by a voteof 25-20.

InNovember, FSWC began urging the township’s councillors and mayor to have thestreet name changed, with Benlolo arguing that the “swastika as a name and a symbol is a reminder of the evil perpetuated bythe Nazis.”

In an open letter sent to the mayor and councillors prior tothe meeting, Benlolo stated that “it would be a shame if Puslinch maintains thename, disregarding everything that Canada truly stands for.”

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Media Contact:

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

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Follow us on Twitter at@CanadianFSWCfor latest news and organization updates.

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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 educationalprograms including workshops, Freedom Day, Spirit of Hope Benefit, Tools for Tolerance and the widely acclaimedTour 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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