City Employee Fired After Being Accused of Vandalizing Ottawa Holocaust Memorial

The words "FEED ME" are seen painted in red on the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa on June 9, 2025.

The City of Ottawa has fired one of its employees who stands accused of spreading red paint on the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa.

A 46-year-old Ottawa man has been charged in connection with the incident, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) said in a June 27 press release.

The man has been charged with mischief to a war memorial, mischief exceeding $5,000, and harassment by threatening conduct.

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said the accused was a city employee who was on leave at the time of the incident. He is no longer employed by the city, Sutcliffe said in a June 29 social media post.

“While it’s encouraging to see that the police investigation into the incident at the National Holocaust Monument has progressed, I’m very disturbed to learn that the person charged is a city employee who was on leave,” Sutcliffe said in a separate post on June 28. “As a community and as an employer, the actions at the Monument do not represent our values.”

The city refused to provide the former employee’s name, saying it can’t provide further details as the issue is before the courts.

“The City can confirm that the individual implicated in this act was on leave at the time of the incident and is no longer employed by the City,” Stuart Huxley, interim city solicitor, told The Epoch Times in a statement.

“As the matter is the subject of a police investigation and is before the courts, the City will provide no further comment.”

The monument, which sits on Wellington Street in the nation’s capital, was defaced during the night of June 8 to 9. Red paint was thrown on the concrete structure with the words “Feed me” written in red as well.

An arrest was made after the OPS’s Hate and Bias Crime Unit launched an investigation and sought help from the public.

Deborah Lyons, Ottawa’s special envoy for combatting anti-Semitism, thanked police for their swift investigation into the matter. She also thanked Sutcliffe for his transparency and solidarity with the Jewish community.

“Antisemitism has no home here,” she said in a June 30 social media post.

The vandalism took place amid an increase in acts of anti-Semitism taking place in Canada and elsewhere since the terrorist group Hamas launched raids inside Israel in October 2023, which were followed by Israeli military action that continues to this day.

The words “Feed me” written on the memorial were painted at a time when entities like the United Nations were accusing Israel of limiting aid delivery in the Gaza Strip. Israel has been trying to control aid distribution, saying it wants to prevent Hamas from hijacking the shipments.

The vandalism of the memorial was condemned by politicians of all stripes in Ottawa. Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “appalled” by the act, while Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre said the responsible “thugs” should be “locked up.”

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/lawyer-accused-in-holocaust-memorial-vandalism-fired-by-city-of-ottawa-5880472?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_cnt=b