Bridgewater police investigate after man seen with Nazi flag draped over his back - Action News
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Nova Scotia

Bridgewater police investigate after man seen with Nazi flag draped over his back

Bridgewater police say they are investigating after a video was posted of a man wearing a Nazi flag, but an MP says current laws do not prohibit it.

NDP MP visiting Nova Scotia says there is little police can do

A sign that reads
A video posted on Reddit shows a man riding on a bike in Bridgewater, N.S., wearing a Nazi flag over his back. (The Canadian Press)

Police in Bridgewater are investigating after receiving complaints about a man riding around town on an e-bike with a Nazi flag draped over his back.

A video on social media shows the person riding through a mall parking lot in Bridgewater.

The 20-second video posted on social media site Redditappears to be taken by a passenger in a car following the cyclist.

While police say they received multiple complaints and have identified the person wearing the flag,NDP MP Peter Julian says it's unclear whether there are grounds to charge the man.

Julian, the MP forNew Westminster-Burnaby inB.C, is in Halifax this weekend to speakatDalhousie about the rise of racism, hate and discrimination in recent years.

He's been lobbying for legal changes to the criminal code to ban symbols of hate.

Need for stronger laws

He saidincidents like this are why we need stronger laws in Canada.

"Sadly, Bridgewater is joining many other cities and towns that are discovering there is nothing that prohibits the most reprehensible display of the Nazi emblem and flags in Canada," Julian said.

"Despite the fact that it profoundly bothers Canadians to see this type of vile symbol flown with impunity right now, there's nothing that police can do."

Julian has introduced a bill in Parliament making it an offence to display visual symbolsthat promote or incite hatred or violenceagainst an identifiable group.

The bill hasn't beenvoted on.

CBC has contactedBridgewater police and is awaiting further information.

With files from Melissa Friedman