'Tidal wave' of hate follows removal of offensive posters at UVic

Publicity about the removal of a a poster targeting Jews from a campus building has itself prompted a "tidal wave" of hateful comments on social media, according to an anti-racismactivist.

Tyson Strandlund, an organizer of an anti-racist groupat the University of Victoria,said the group notified campus security about the posters last month.

The anti-Semitic posters read: "Those who hate us will not replace us. Defend Canadian heritage. Fight back against anti-white hatred.A message from the alt-right."

Strandlund said the message, with the word "those" inside triple parentheses, was a coded reference to Jews and a "dog whistle" to attract anti-Semitic attention.

Although the posters were quickly taken down, a backlasherupted on social media, including the UVicAnti-racist Action UVicFacebook page, he said.

"There's not quite the total disgust we were expecting," he said."There is a lot of disgust but there is also a lot of hate and racist support for this."

"It's been an absolute tidal wave," Strandlundsaid. He said he has been removingabusive comments from the page.

No on-campus culprit found

On Friday, Attorney General DavidEbydenounced the posters during a presentation at auViclaw class.

"The posters here at the University of Victoria remind us that there is important work to be done in identifying and rooting out racism and discrimination and also in educating the broader public who may not face this as part of their day-to-day reality,'' he said.

Cassbreea Dewis, the acting director of equity and human rights for UVic, said the university is profoundly disappointed by the incident, but noconnection has been identified between the poster and any university group or member.

Dewissaid the university is responding with policies andeducational events, including Five Days of Action,a series of forums and discussions coming inthe spring of 2018.

UVic present Jamie Cassels said he supported Dewis' statement on Friday afternoon.

Strandlundsaid it is not the first time offensive messages have overwhelmed an anti-racist initiative on campus.

In March, the Third Space Zine Wall Project builta large, white wall that invited responses to the question"How do you challenge white supremacy?"

The wall was quickly taken down after it became a platform for racist, anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic statements.

Strandlund said a publicmeeting on campus Nov. 15 willdiscuss potential anti-racism strategies.

Rabbi Harry Brechner, of Victoria's Emanu-El Synagogue, called the poster's message "ugly hate".

"The Jewish community might this time be the target, but it's really the values of all of Victoria that's targeted," Brechner said.

Meanwhile,B'naiBrithCanadaCEO MichaelMostyncalled the appearance of the posters a serious concern. Similar posters appeared at U.S. universities following the far-right gathering inCharlottesville in August, but theUVicposters might be theirfirst appearance at a university in Canada.

"It is imperative that university officials do whatever they can to identify and discipline the culprits," Mostyn said in a statement.

With files from Tamara Rahmani,Deborah Wilson and the Canadian Press.