in the police york region probing after anti asian graffiti was discovered at the Markville Mall in Markham, Ont.
York Regional Police said mall security contacted them on Saturday to report the red and white graffiti on the property.
Stephen Lew, a local resident who saw the graffiti and shared it on social media, said the paint contained derogatory words targeting Asian-Canadians.
“Some people were very angry about it, but the point is, I don’t want anyone to be angry about it, I want us to be aware of it,” he told Global News. “It’s not just about Asian (people), or hatred of Asians, or predominantly Chinese, it’s about any other race that lives in Toronto.”
Police said a video showed seven male suspects in the area at the time of the incident, which police are investigating.
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A mall spokesperson told Global News, “As soon as we were informed, we deployed our team to remove the graffiti.”
“Our primary concern is the safety and security of our customers, tenants and employees, and providing a welcoming environment for our community.”
Lew said he was stunned by what he saw.
He said, “It’s like someone has just stuck a knife and then you know it’s hit your heart.”
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