Nazi flag seen flying at second Alberta property
A Hitler Youth flag has been spotted flying over a second rural Alberta property in the span of a week.
On Tuesday, the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) said they contacted police after learning Nazi and Confederate flags were on display at a property near Breton.
A nearby resident spotted the flags Sunday and reported them to the Toronto-based centre, which monitors racism and anti-semitism.
In a news release, the FSWC said the property owner refused to remove the flags after being approached by Breton RCMP. An RCMP spokesman confirmed they are investigating but declined to provide further details.
“It is extremely disturbing and quite disheartening to once again see a Hitler Youth flag, as well as the Confederate flag, on display,” said Jaime Kirzner-roberts, the centre's director of policy.
“These displays of hate go against the values that Canada stands for and are an attack on not only the Jewish and Black communities, but also on our veterans and fallen soldiers who made unspeakable sacrifices to defeat the Nazis and preserve our freedoms.”
The news comes less than a week after RCMP asked a property owner near the northern Alberta village of Boyle to remove a similar flag. The latest property is located on Township Road 484 in Brazeau County, southwest of Edmonton.
The FSWC filed criminal complaints in relation to both flags, arguing the property owners are wilfully promoting hatred and demanding police conduct a hate crimes investigation.
County Reeve Bart Guyon called the flags “disturbing ” in a phone interview Tuesday.
In a followup statement, he added: “There is no place in Brazeau County for symbols of hatred and racism. These flags are disturbing, inappropriate, and do not represent the values of the people of Brazeau County. We call upon the landowner to remove them immediately.”
Steve Shafir, president of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, said the flags are proof that “anti-semitism, unfortunately, is alive and well in Canada.”
Shafir added the Jewish community has been “pleased with the outpouring of support from the general community when these things do come to light.”
“We know that the vast majority of Canadians are disgusted with the views that come with a symbol like that.”
Efforts to contact the property owner have been unsuccessful.