Hamilton police investigating after Andrea Horwath sign vandalized with 'misogynistic' and 'violent' imagery

Warning: This story contains details of offensive language and imagery.

Hamilton policeare investigatinganother election-related incident,after a campaignsign ofmayoral candidate Andrea Horwathwas foundvandalized withmisogynisticslurs and imagery.

Horwath's team was notified Sunday of thedefaced sign, which was displayed on a rural property north of Binbrook. The team thennotified police.

Horwath said Tuesday in a tweet that the vandalism included 'misogynistic and violent imagery' that was "so disturbing that I'm not able to share the images on social media."

CBC Hamilton has viewed an image of the sign, buthas decided not to publish itdue to thegraphic nature of the vandalism.

The "mega sign," measuring 1.2by 2.4 metres, was covered with hateful messages and illustrations usingspray paint and pen, including multiplemisogynistic slurs, swastikasand crude drawings.

Horwath's slogan, "Vote Andrea Horwath, mayor for a thriving Hamilton," wasdefaced with red spray paint to read,"F--kAndrea Horwarth, s--t for a thriving Ham."

Police saidthey are investigating the incident as a "mischief complaint"after thehate-crime unit received the report.

"We have had some other minor incidents of vandalism, but nothing to this degree," Madeline Wilson, Horwath's deputy campaign manager, told CBC Hamilton.

The defacing of Horwath's sign, just over a week before Monday's Ontario municipal election,is the third reportof campaignvandalismin recent weeks.

"BIPOCand2SLGBTQIA+ candidates experience this type of hate in far greater instances, yet continue to put their hat in the ring to represent our community," Horwath said on Twitter on Tuesday.

"It is unacceptable that this kind of hate persists...Community leaders in Hamilton must call out hate when they see it. Hamilton can be better than this."

'A reminder of the things wrong with Hamilton'

Ward 14 candidateKojo Damptey'sbus shelter sign was vandalized earlier this month, with a "White people first"sticker on Oct. 11.

"This is a reminder of the things that are wrong with Hamilton and Canada," Damptey, who is Black, said in a video posted to social media.

The sticker on Damptey's ad was part of a larger white supremacistpropaganda campaign.

An Ontario group chat on Telegram includes a postfrom Oct. 9 with five pictures that says, "white lives matter activists have been placingpro-white material throughout Hamilton."

"We condemn racism in any/all forms and are committed to nurturing a city that is welcoming and inclusive, and where the community feels safe," the City of Hamilton said on social media following the report ofanti-Black racism.

A post from the Ontario Telegram groupSept. 26 also shows posters that say "white unityat every opportunity," seemingly posted in Brantford, Ont. It's unclear if any of the material is still up.

Ward 3candidate Walter Furlanalsofound one of his campaign signs, onBarton Street East, was vandalized on Oct. 13.

"We found a swastika on my forehead and a moustache to apparently make me look like Hitler," said Furlan.

"I wasn't happy about it ... Ihave two children in the armed forces and I know a lot of people with fathers and grandfathers that fought in the world war against this sort of thing and a lot of them died," he said.

Hamilton police spokesperson Jackie Penman said the vandalism is "a mischief complaint and has been forwarded to the hate-crime unit for further investigation."

Multiple candidates from differentwards have also reported their signs being stolen.

Hamilton saw a record number of hate crimes in 2021.The Hamilton Police Servicerecorded 21 hate crimes last year more than2019, 2018 and 2017 combined.Almost all reported local hate crimes and incidentslast year in Hamilton targeted Black,Jewish, Muslim andLGBTQcommunities.

Read all of CBC Hamilton's electioncoveragehere.