TORONTO (August 30, 2017) – Friends of Simon WiesenthalCenter (FSWC) condemns the antisemitic graffiti that was discovered outside a stripmall in Okotoks. The Star of David was spray-painted with a swastika inside.

“This type of graffiti continues to make its way to citiesand towns that have never before been targeted, and it’s up to the police to takethe incidents seriously and prosecute those responsible,” said Avi Benlolo,FSWC President and CEO.

The city’s mayor, Bill Robertson, said that while the RCMPhas dealt with numerous graffiti incidents, this is the first swastika he’sseen. The RCMP is treating the graffiti as a hate crime.

FSWC offers a lawenforcement training program to help police improve their ability to dotheir jobs effectively and efficiently in increasingly complex and diverseenvironments, particularly when handling antisemitism and hate crimes. FSWC continues to track antisemitic incidents by province andterritory on www.fswc.ca, under the “antisemitism” tab. 

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To arrange an interview with Avi Benlolo, please contact:

Atara Cadesky  
Communications Associate  
416.864.9735 x 30  
acadesky@fswc.ca

Avital Borisovsky  
Communications Associate    
416.864.9735 x 30  
aborisovsky@fswc.ca

Follow us on Twitter at @CanadianFSWC for 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 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. 

Canadian Headquarters: Toronto 

Branches: Los Angeles • New York • Chicago • Paris • Buenos Aires • Israel