A B.C. anti-racism activist says she’s not surprised the province is seeing a surge in police-reported hate crimes.
New numbers from Statistics Canada show B.C. saw an increase of 29 per cent in crimes targeting identifiable groups last year.
Fatima Jaffer is with Trikone Vancouver, a group that represents queer South Asian people.
She said the increase in hate crimes in B.C. mirrors the backlash that various minority groups are seeing both nationally and internationally.
“We’re really heavily influenced by what’s happening south of the border. And we saw this rhetoric rise during Obama’s time, and then we saw the ascendance of Trump, something none of us thought was possible,” Jaffer said.
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“I think there’s a direct correlation between these voices of hate at the highest levels and the way people are reacting on the ground.”
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The latest figures from Statistics Canada show a rise in attacks is motivated by hatred towards sexual and racial minorities.
“People think they can get away with it and so they’re doing it. It’s a bandwagon, and we’re on it, and our bodies are on the line,” Jaffer said.
In 2016, there were 211 reported hate crimes in this province, up from 164 the year before, with incidents targeting South Asians and East and Southeast Asians each doubling.
Incidents motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation were the most reported hate crimes in B.C. last year.
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