City of Richmond/RCMP call for end to racist behaviours

27 May 2021

Incidents of racism in any form will not and must not be tolerated. Such actions and behaviours must end. That’s the strong message from the City of Richmond and Richmond RCMP after a series of recent anti-Asian and racist episodes.

“Now is the time for everyone in our community to stand up against all forms of racism and hate, while we stay true to our shared values of respect, inclusion and diversity,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “Richmond has a unique cultural history which is the envy of many cities. We need to recognize and embrace our cultural blend through respect and understanding.”

“Hate has no place in Richmond. Hate incidents, whether criminal or not, have a devastating effect on the safety of our community and will not be tolerated,” said Richmond RCMP Officer-In-Charge, Chief Superintendent Will Ng. “Recent events have demonstrated that anyone can be the target of hate. Richmond RCMP encourages victims to report all such incidents to police. Every hate incident will be fully investigated. Hate has no place here.”

The City and Richmond RCMP are committed to community safety through education, promoting cultural harmony, inclusion and eradicating hate. They have partnered on several education and awareness campaigns to proactively address racist attitudes and behaviours, especially those which may escalate to heated and sometimes violent confrontations.

Although recent incidents have targeted those of Asian descent, demonstrations of hate over time have been shown to focus on many different cultural groups. The perpetrators also do not come from a single group. Such behaviours can often be linked to many other factors or circumstances which may not be obvious.

Mayor Brodie and Chief Superintendent Ng said that members of the community must immediately speak up when they witness racist actions, comments or behaviours, especially to protect the possible victim who should feel safe. They also encourage people to call the RCMP immediately to report incidents as soon as they occur rather than cause a delay by first turning to social media.