Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is calling on police to pursue an aggressive investigation after hateful graffiti was found spray-painted on numerous vehicles in southwest Edmonton.

Ten vehicles were reportedly found vandalized yesterday in the Edmonton neighbourhood of Chappelle. The graffiti included swastikas and racial slurs, and while the Edmonton Police Service’s hate crime unit is aware of the incident, the Southwest Division is currently handling the investigation. FSWC has reached out to police to ask them to conduct a thorough neighborhood canvas in search of witnesses or video surveillance footage that may have captured the perpetrator.

"It is beyond disturbing that individuals choose to spread messages of hate to create divisiveness, particularly during such a time when communities are coming together to speak out against hatred," said Rabbi Meyer May, Executive Director of Simon Wiesenthal Center.

"There is no place for hate in our communities. The swastika has been a symbol of hate ever since it was appropriated by the Nazi Party, which orchestrated the murder of 6 million Jews and millions of others during the Second World War. Combined with the racial slurs, this incident was clearly a hate-motivated crime and deserves an aggressive police investigation to find the perpetrator and lay appropriate charges," said Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, Director of FSWC's Campaign Against Antisemitism.