TILLSONBURG – A rainbow crosswalk installed in this Southwestern Ontario town just two months ago has been targeted for a fourth time by vandals.
Black paint and diesel fuel were poured last weekend on the Pride-themed crosswalk, located at Broadway and Bridge Street, enraging local LGBTQ activists. City officials said the substances created “a dangerous situation for motorists and an environmental hazard.”
Firefighters helped in removing the paint and fuel from the street.
This is the fourth time the crosswalk has been targeted since being installed in late July. Its creation was led by Oxford County Pride.
“This is reckless behavior and it needs to stop,” Tillsonburg Mayor Deb Gilvesy said in a statement. “Defacing public property is not acceptable in Tillsonburg at any time. I cannot stress enough how concerning these incidents are. . . to the entire community.”
Tami Murray is president of Oxford Pride. She called the latest act of vandalism “not surprising” amid a slew of anti-LGBTQ incidents across Southwestern Ontario throughout 2023.
“It’s worrisome in terms of the message and some of the hate and violence that’s happening” toward our community, Murray said. “I find it that interesting (vandals) worry about their rights being infringed upon but have no trouble infringing on our property rights.”
Oxford County OPP say they were called shortly before 1 am last Sunday. On Thursday, police said they were reviewing security footage as part of their investigation.
Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact them at 1-888-310-1122. Those wishing to remain anonymous are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a tip at www.oxfordcrimestoppers.com where you may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.