Sikh Man Assaulted, Told to ‘Get out of My Country’ in Canada
Toronto: An elderly Sikh man in Canada was attacked by a teenager who shouted racial slurs like “get out of my country”, prompting police to investigate a “hate-motivated attack”, authorities said. The incident occurred on April 22 in Woodstock, Ontario, and the teen is facing multiple charges for his actions, Woodstock Police said in a statement.
It was stated that the attack occurred when a young man approached the old man while he was walking on the sidewalk and pushed him.
Police said the teenager targeted the victim based on his ethnicity and used racist and obscene language. The victim was not physically injured, he added.
Upon examination, it was determined that the young man attacked the man for no reason.
Following the incident, the youth jumped the fence onto Turtle Island School grounds before exiting the school grounds. The statement stated that no students were harmed in the incident.
The statement said, “As a result of the investigation, the young man was arrested following the hate-motivated attack. The defendant was detained for the bail hearing.”
The Woodstock Police Department said videos of this incident were circulating on social media and that these videos were accompanied by young people asking, “What are you doing in my country?” He is aware that he has repeatedly committed racist abuse, including
“You’re not from here, get out of my country.”
“Acts of hate have no place in our society. The Woodstock Police Department is committed to ensuring that all members of the community feel safe and protected. We encourage anyone who is the subject of or witnesses a hate-motivated incident to report it to police,” police said.
“The Woodstock Police Department will pursue and hold accountable those who commit hate crimes.”
Meanwhile, the World Sikh Organization (WSO) said in a statement sent to X that it was “deeply concerned” about the incident and called the attack “unacceptable”.
The organization thanks Woodstock police for their quick response.
“As our recent Anti-Sikh Hate Report shows, these incidents are part of a broader pattern. We need systemic action, including better reporting, public education and coordinated responses from agencies. If you are exposed to or witness hate, report it to the police and WSO,” the organization said. he said.
