Police investigating swastika graffiti at Hamilton Farmers’ Market as hate crime

Police are investigating after reported white supremacist hate messages and a swastika were spray-painted on the outside of the Hamilton Farmers' Market downtown.

Police confirmed Friday afternoon they are investigating the painted messages as a hate crime and appealed to area residents and business owners to check security cameras between the hours of 1 and 2:15 a.m. Drivers are also encouraged to submit dashcam footage if they had vehicles in the area.

Garbage bags have been used to cover five windows of the market that face York Boulevard. It's unclear who placed the bags there, or what messages or symbols they are concealing.

The Spectator has reached out to the city, which owns the market building, for more information.

The latest scrawled hate crime was discovered the day before community members were slated to gather at the Concession Street library at noon to speak out against acts of racism and declare the street a Hate-Free Zone."

The Saturday gathering was scheduled in response to the Feb. 5 vandalism of a heritage plaque at the library commemorating the Mountain's early Black community.

Police are asking anyone with information to help identify a suspect in the latest hate graffiti incident to call the hate crime unit at 905-546-5511.

Reach The Spectator newsroom at 905-526-3420 or news@thespec.com