The National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa was defaced with red paint and the words “feed me” on Sunday, prompting widespread condemnation and an ongoing police investigation, Global News reported.
The act of vandalism, located a short distance west of Parliament Hill, has been decried as antisemitic and an expression of pure hate.
Israeli Ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed, stated, “This is an expression of pure hate. Hate that’s directed against monuments to commemorate the loss of six million people in the Second World War.”
He added, “What we see…is a renewed, modern version of the same hate against Jews and against people who just live their own lives. This hate must be eradicated. This must stop.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his outrage on social media, calling the defacing “reprehensible.”
“This is a monument that commemorates the six million Jewish lives murdered during the Holocaust, and the millions of other victims of Nazi Germany. It is a space for mourning and remembrance,” he wrote.
B’nai Brith Canada strongly condemned the act as well, with Richard Robertson, Director of Research and Advocacy, stating, “This attack on the sanctity of the Holocaust monument is deplorable and those responsible must be held accountable.”
He added, “Incidents such as this only serve to further marginalize the Jewish community and make Jews feel unwelcome in this country.”
Ottawa Centre MP Yasir Naqvi labeled the incident “A disgraceful, antisemitic act of vandalism,” emphasizing that “Defacing it is not protest—it is hate, and I condemn it.” Deborah Lyons, Canada’s special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism, affirmed that the monument “is a sacred space of remembrance and reflection to honour the 6 million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis.”
She unequivocally stated, “Vandalizing the monument does nothing to bring peace to the Middle East. It is an act of vile antisemitism and a hate crime. Full stop.”
Conservative Party deputy leader Melissa Lantsman also condemned the “disgusting and cowardly act,” asserting that “Someone this pathetic deserves to be identified and held accountable.”
Ottawa Police confirmed they are investigating the incident.
The National Holocaust Monument commemorates the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered during the Holocaust, and the millions of other victims of Nazi Germany and its collaborators. It was inaugurated by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September 2017.
The monument has been a target of vandalism in the past, including an incident in 2020 that was investigated as a hate crime.
