‘Black Lives Matter’ painted on White Rock’s iconic boulder
Posted September 27, 2020 9:57 pm.
Last Updated September 27, 2020 10:10 pm.
WHITE ROCK (NEWS 1130) — The iconic White Rock — a 486-ton boulder that is a symbol of the city, and sacred to the Semiahmoo First Nation on whose unceded land it sits– has been vandalized with black spray paint, and the words ‘Black Lives Matter.’
City Councillor Anthony Manning spotted the graffiti Sunday morning.
“I was just down on the promenade with about 50 other people who were marching in support of the Canadian Walk for Veterans, and the graffiti was there, and it was very, very discouraging to see,” he says.
“I support anyone to express their opinion, but there are ways to do it and there are ways not to do it. This is certainly a way not to do it,”
Manning says defacing something with significance to a local First Nation “really undermines the Black Lives Matter movement.”
He also worries it will fuel opposition to the movement against anti-Black racism.
“It really lends credence to opponents who say they’re more concerned with mischief than social justice.”
The massive landmark was also vandalized a couple of months ago, according to Manning.
“Someone had put graffiti protesting against perceived police brutality,” he says.
“We get on it as quickly as we can and we cover it over. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s disappointing when it does.”
