Police investigating vandalism of Komagata Maru memorial as possible hate crime

The Vancouver Police Department says it is investigating a possible hate crime after a memorial acknowledging a racist chapter in Canada's history was vandalized over the weekend.

On Sunday, the Komagata Maru memorial in the Coal Harbour neighbourhood was vandalized with white paint.

"Front-line officers and other specially trained investigators worked throughout the evening yesterdayand will continue to gather evidence in this disturbing crime," VPD Sgt. Steve Addison said in a release.

"This investigation is a priorityand we are committed to finding out who is responsible and why they did this."

Nearly 400 South Asian immigrants were aboard the Komagata Maru, which was anchored just off Coal Harbour in 1914, when it was turned away from Canada due to exclusion laws.

The white graffiti on the memorial included handprints that covered the names of the ship's occupants.

"It is disheartening that someone could show such disrespect to this important memorial," said Addison.

On Sunday, Raj Singh Toor with the Komagata Maru Society said vandalism like this should not happen in Vancouver.

"It's a very, very terrible incident and it's very sad," he said.

The Komagata Maru memorial was installed in 2013.

In 1914, the ship and its occupants waited for two months to dock in Vancouver's harbourbefore the vessel was forced to return to India with everyone on board. They included 340 Sikhs, 24 Muslimsand 12 Hindus who lacked access to medical aid, food andwater.

There have been several racist attacks in B.C. this year.

In July, two senior South Asian women were targeted by a couplethrowing garbage and spewing racist insultswhile they visited a Surrey park with their grandchildren.

Also last month, a South Asian security guard at a vaccination clinic was thetarget of a racist rantby an anti-vaccine protester.

And in April, a man was charged withincitement of hatred and mischiefover anti-Asian graffiti in Vancouver's Chinatown.

Anyone with information about the vandalism to the Komagata Maru memorial is asked to contact the police.