City employee charged over vandalism of National Holocaust Monument
46-year-old accused due in court Saturday
The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) has charged a man for the vandalism earlier this month of the National Holocaust Monument.
On Friday afternoon, the police service announced a 46-year-old man has been accused of mischief to a war memorial, mischief exceeding $5,000 and harassment by threatening conduct.
Police did not name the man.
In a post Saturday on social media, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he was "very disturbed" to learn he is an on-leave city employee.
"As a community and as an employer, the actions at the Monument do not represent our values. I've asked city officials to take all appropriate action in light of these developments," wrote Sutcliffe, who also did not identify him.
The charges stem from an incident on June 9 when the concrete memorial on the Kichi Zibi Mikan near Lebreton Flats was found splashed with red paint, including the words "feed me" painted in capital letters.
The slogan appeared to be a reference to Gaza, which the United Nations had recently described as the "hungriest place on Earth."
Iddo Moed, Israel's ambassador to Canada, decried the vandalism as antisemitic.
The accused man was scheduled to appear in court on Saturday.