Hate crimes in London rose in 2023 for the 4th consecutive year
Police reported 39% rise in 2023 compared to 2022
A new report to the London Police Service Board says hate crimes — including police-reported property damage, threats and violence — have "risen significantly over the last five years," tied to what police said is a wider national trend and amplified by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the push for gender diversity and inclusion.
The nine-page report was part of a board agenda package set for Wednesday. Police said reported hate crimes in the city rose from 68 to 111, or 39 per cent, from 2022 to 2023.
The report defines a hate crime as "any criminal offence committed against a person or property" where the suspect is believed to be motivated by hate or bias because of the race, gender, sexuality, religion or disability of the victim.
People within the LGBTQ community are among the most frequent targets of hate crimes in the city, accounting for more than a quarter of the 2023 total, the report said, linking the increase to Ontario government policies on gender-affirming surgeries and pronoun preferences that are being hotly debated across the country.
LGBTQ community most frequently targeted in 2023
The report said that by far, the largest of share of reported hate crimes against the LGBTQ community happened during June, which the report notes coincides with Pride month itself.
"There were 19 occurrences directly related to gender diversity/inclusion, including six specifically involving transgender or non-binary victims," the report said, noting the data is consistent with what's being reported at a national level by advocacy groups.
The London police report was made public during the National Rainbow Week of Action, dedicated to bringing increased awareness about the rising levels of hate directed against the LGBTQ community by far-right groups.
"Violence, harassment and abuse is routine, and lived experience of trans and gender-diverse communities nationwide," Chris Kennedy, a director on the board at PFlag Canada, told CBC Radio's London Morning on Tuesday.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) issued a warning in February that the "anti-gender movement" poses a threat of "extreme violence" against the LGBTQ community.
Many queer people, we're scared right now.- Chris Kennedy, board member of PFlag
Last summer, a former University of Waterloo student was accused of attacking a gender-studies class with a knife, sending the instructor and two students to hospital. The suspect faces 11 terrorism charges.
While extreme threats might grab headlines, Kennedy said the community also faces harassment in the forms of protests outside drag story events and Pride festivals across the country. In some cases, he said, police became involved or events were cancelled because of threats of violence.
"Many queer people, we're scared right now," Kennedy said. "As hateful rhetoric escalates, it's becoming more and more normal to target queer and trans individuals."
Hate crimes against Muslims, Jews rose after Oct. 7 attack
After the LGBTQ community, the London police report said the Black community is the second most targeted group in the city, followed by the Muslim, Jewish and South Asian communities.
Hate crimes reported by members of the Black community saw a slight decrease between 2023 and 2022, while the Muslim community saw the largest increase in reported hate crimes of all groups in 2023, up 263 per cent over the year before.
The report cited "a notable connection" between the timing of the rise of reported hate crimes by members of the Muslim community and "the war between Israel and Hamas," with 62 per cent of crimes reported to police after Oct. 7, the day of the Hamas attack on Israel.
"This same connection can be observed for the Jewish community," the report said.
It noted Jews in the city reported being "victimized in 26 reported occurrences in 2023," a 24 per cent increase over 2022, accounting for 14 per cent of all reported occurrences.
South Asians saw a seven per cent increase in hate crimes directed against their community, accounting for eight per cent of all reported hate crimes.
Hate crime suspects most likely white
"Reporting from national and provincial sources indicates that hate against this community has been rising over the past few years," the police report said.
The report said the ethnicity of the suspect behind the alleged hate crime was known in 126 cases. Among those, 74 per cent were believed to be white, followed by Arab and Black, at 15 and five per cent, respectively.
The report said property damage was by far the most frequent type of crime reported, accounting for 43 per cent of the total, followed by violence, which accounted for 32 per cent.
Among violent incidents, by far the most frequent crime was assault, which was 94 per cent and then robbery, which police said accounted for the rest.