London, Ont. man's Pride flag torn from front porch, rainbow crosswalk vandalized in Owen Sound
London resident, Stephen Karchut, is expressing shock and deepened sadness after finding out his Pride flag was ripped from his front porch around 7 p.m., Sunday evening.
Video surveillance shows four teenagers approaching Karchut’s property with one of the four tearing down the Pride Flag that was zip-tied to his front porch.
“You see Blue Jays flags, you see other country’s flags, Canadian flags. None of them have been noticeably missing except ours,” says Karchut, who believes this was a targeted attack on himself and the LGBTQ community.
Karchut adds that he never expected something like this to happen to himself and his partner in London, “To have a flag that symbolizes our very existence, torn down in a month that is supposed to celebrate who we are, just really, really cuts through you.”
Stephen Karchut had his Pride flag stolen from his London, Ont. home on June 20, 2021. (Jaden Lee-Lincoln/CTV London)
Stephen Karchut had his Pride flag stolen from his London, Ont. home on June 20, 2021. (Jaden Lee-Lincoln/CTV London)
London police are aware of the incident and investigating. They are asking anyone with information about the stolen flag to contact them.
Karchut is asking the youth involved in the incident to return the flag.
Meanwhile, Owen Sound police are investigating after the city's rainbow crosswalk was vandalized over the weekend.
Police were notified Sunday morning and city crews immediately removed the markings.
“This senseless act is contrary to the beliefs of an accepting and inclusive community,” said Owen Sound Police Chief Craig Ambrose in a news release. “I encourage anyone with information to come forward to the police so that those responsible can be brought to justice.”
June marks Pride Month as the world's LGBTQ2 population celebrates the freedom to be themselves.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.