Vancouver Police have launched an investigation after the Komagata Maru memorial was vandalized for the second time in 14 months in another case of racism. “Detectives from a number of VPD specialized units are working together to collect evidence and identify the suspect(s) in this troubling incident,” says Constable Jason Doucette. “This investigation will take time, but we’ll leave no stone unturned in our attempts to solve this senseless crime.”

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff

VANCOUVER – Vancouver Police have launched an investigation after the Komagata Maru memorial was vandalized for the second time in 14 months in another case of racism.

“Detectives from a number of VPD specialized units are working together to collect evidence and identify the suspect(s) in this troubling incident,” says Constable Jason Doucette. “This investigation will take time, but we’ll leave no stone unturned in our attempts to solve this senseless crime.”

VPD initiated an investigation on October 4, after learning from a social media post that the glass on the front of the Komagata Maru memorial had been shattered. The memorial, located on the waterfront in Coal Harbour, appears to have been intentionally damaged.

“We don’t just want to find the person who did this, but also understand why this cherished memorial was targeted,” adds Constable Doucette. “We’re looking into whether this vandalism is connected to a similar crime Saturday morning at the Olympic Cauldron in Jack Poole Plaza.”

“When these memorials are vandalized, the painful memories of intolerance and racism come back,” said Raj Toor of the Komagata Maru Descendants Society. “But we do not wish to dwell on the pain of the past. Instead, we are grateful to the Vancouver Police for taking this vandalism very seriously, and investing their time to investigate this incident.

Toor said the vandalism  of the Komagata Maru Memorial is a reminder that we still have a lot of work to do, but the diligent work of the Vancouver Police does give us hope that even in the dark days we are still making progress to building a more tolerant Canada.  

This is the second time in as many years that someone has deliberately defaced the Komagata Maru memorial. A four-month Vancouver Police investigation led to the arrest of Yuniar Kurniawan, who is currently charged with mischief, after someone used paint to vandalize the memorial in August 2021.

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call investigators at 604-717-0613, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.