Toronto police are investigating more than a dozen posters found in an east-end neighbourhood that read “Hey, white person,” and list a number of racist and anti-immigrant sentiments, along with links to websites that promote white nationalism and Donald Trump.
Ian Affern says he and a fellow parent were startled by the posters they saw on school property in the East York neighbourhood Monday morning. They ripped a few of them down, he said.
“This is garbage to see in Toronto,” Affern said.
City councillor Janet Davis said she believes the election of Donald Trump has “given legitimacy to those extreme right voices again and it’s shocking that it’s happening here in Toronto.”
The City of Toronto deployed staff to remove the posters while police encouraged the public to contact them if they have any information on who may have put them up. Police said it was not yet clear whether any law had been broken.
The posters state a number of questions including, “Tired of political correctness?” and “Wondering why only white countries have to become ‘multicultural’?”
The posters suggest white people should “Join the Alt-right.” The alt-right, or “alternative right” generally refers to a movement of U.S. conservatives who rejected the mainstream Republican Party’s views in favour of white nationalism and anti-immigration.
The website Breitbart.com published what has been called an alt-right manifesto in March. It states that the accusations about it being “little more than a vehicle for the worst dregs of human society: anti-Semites, white supremacists, and other members of the Stormfront set (are) wrong.”
The movement is strongly supportive of Donald Trump. Breitbart chairman Steve Bannon, who has been accused of racism and anti-Semitism, has been appointed the president-elect’s chief strategist.
With files from CTV Toronto
