“I no longer feel safe in this city”, says Vancouver man after suffering a physical assault

Eddie Elmer, a resident of Vancouver, Canada, has decided to speak out after falling victim to a hate-motivated physical assault for the second time in a year.

The incident occurred “in the heart of downtown” Vancouver early on 9th January. Mr Elmer reported that a male approached him while he was waiting to cross at a junction and began shouting antisemitic comments. The perpetrator reportedly yelled, “you Jewish people”, and proceeded to strike Mr Elmer in the head and leg.

In August of last year, Mr Elmer reported another hate-related incident in which an unknown male called him a homophobic slur, followed him and threatened to “put a bullet in [his] head”. He has subsequently issued a public statement on his personal social media page and expressed a deep concern for his safety and wellbeing in Vancouver.

A report to the Vancouver Police Board in October of 2020 discovered that hate crimes had increased by 116 percent since the previous year.

Mr Elmer called the emergency services directly after the recent incident, and the suspect was arrested on an unrelated warrant. The city’s hate crimes section is reviewing the file and the investigation is ongoing.

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