Activist unrepentant after erasing anchor’s swastika
Nazi symbol in outdoor museum shouldn’t be so prominent, he says
As the founder of a movement called Erasing Hate, Corey Fleischer has removed a lot of swastikas in the last few years.
Fleischer, who runs a graffiti-removal company called Provincial Power Washing, is often called to remove swastikas and other hate symbols in public spaces. He does most of those removals without charge.
However, last week marked the first time the Montreal-area resident removed a swastika that was displayed prominently by a public body. The symbol was painted on an anchor, one of several displayed by the town of Pointe-des-Cascades, just south of Vaudreuil-Dorion, in the nautical-themed St-Pierre Park that runs adjacent to the Soulanges Canal, a popular destination for cyclists.
The anchor is part of a collection in what the town calls the Parc des Ancres, situated next to a museum. The town’s website said the artifacts in the museum “bear witness to the past of the (St-Lawrence) River and the Soulanges Canal.”
Fleischer said he believes the anchor has been displayed in the park for several years or even decades, based on old photographs he found online. However, it seems the town repainted the anchor recently, which gave the Nazi symbol even more prominence.
“I don’t know what upsets me more: that they sought out this anchor or that they painted the swastika so prominently,” Fleischer said in an interview Monday.
Fleischer had been flagged by one of his followers online about the swastika in the park. He figured someone had defaced the anchor. He was surprised to learn that this appears to be an authentic Naziera anchor, taken from a German vessel that fought in the Second World War.
“They collect anchors, so I understand how it could get there, but they went so far as to paint this anchor tri-coloured, with a white circle in the background and the swastika in black, so it stands out,” Fleischer said. “So they’re making sure that anyone who walks by will see this swastika.”
He used his power washer to scrub away the black and white paint, allowing the symbol to blend in to the background. He said he did it because there was a major children’s festival planned in the park this past weekend, and he didn’t want children to see the swastika.
“I didn’t damage the anchor whatsoever, I just removed the paint,” Fleischer said. “It’s solid steel; I would have to have a grinder to mess it up.”
However, while he was removing the paint, Fleischer was stopped by town mayor Gilles Santerre, who phoned police.
Calls to Santerre for an interview were not immediately returned on Monday.
Fleischer video recorded the conversation he had with Sûreté du Québec officers, who explained to him that, because the anchor belongs to the town, they can charge him with defacing property.
As of Monday, Fleischer said he had not received any notices that he committed a bylaw infraction.
In the video he posted to his Facebook page on Monday, Fleischer told police they should probably arrest him because, if the town repaints the swastika as it was before, he will return to remove the paint again.
“You can arrest me right now, because if that is repainted, I’ll be back here tomorrow to erase it,” he told police.
Fleischer said he was shocked by the attitude of the mayor, whom he said used bullying tactics to try to get him to leave the park.
Fleischer is urging the public to pressure the town of Pointe-desCascades to remove the anchor from the area.
“It’s so unacceptable. It’s absolutely crazy,” Fleischer told the Montreal Gazette. “I wish this wasn’t in a public space. We live in Canada; this is a country that is built on multiculturalism. The sign of a swastika is not acceptable in 2017.”
Several people voiced their outrage about the swastika on the Pointe-des-Cascades Facebook page, including Guy Zuviv, who wrote:
“You’ll be ashamed of the mayor !!!!! This is the example you give to your residents??? You are a disgrace to your country and city !!!!!!! ”