Canada: Graffiti on monument for Nazi SS division being investigated as a hate crime by police

[muriel_volestrangler]

This isn't a hate crime, it's an accurate label:

Someone painted “Nazi war monument” on a stone cenotaph commemorating those who served with the 14th SS Division. The monument is located in Oakville in the St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Cemetery.

The division, made up of Ukrainians who pledged allegiance to Hitler, was part of the Nazi’s Waffen SS organization. Some members of the division have been accused of killing Polish women and children as well as Jews during the Second World War.

Halton Regional Police believe the graffiti was spray painted on the cenotaph sometime around June 21. Police said they were investigating the incident as a “hate-motivated” crime but they declined to release images of the graffiti so as to stop “further spreading” of the message.
...
In response to questions from this newspaper, Const. Steve Elms, spokesman for Halton-Regional Police, cited a section of the Criminal Code that noted those communicating statements in any public place inciting hatred against any identifiable group could face imprisonment not exceeding two years. “This incident occurred to a monument and the graffiti appeared to target an identifiable group,” he explained in an email to questions about how a hate crime could be perpetrated against members of the SS.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/graffiti-on-monument-commemorating-nazi-ss-division-being-investigated-as-a-hate-crime-by-police?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1594983035

Why was it allowed to be put up in the first place?

[Mike 03]

1. A bit odd. Whoever painted that graffiti knows his/her history.

I wouldn't call it a "hate crime." I'd call it providing an explanation to those who don't understand. Although, yes, it is graffiti.

[Cirque du So-What]

2. It's a church cemetery

That question should be posed to the church hierarchy.

[lapucelle]

3. Three Headstones in American Military Cemeteries Bear Swastikas, But not for much longer

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/nazi-headstones-in-cemeteries

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/06/01/nazi-headstones-will-be-removed-from-us-veterans-cemeteries-va-leaders-say/

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/25/us/va-cemeteries-swastikas-hitler-trnd/index.html

[BGBD]

9. we should

return those bodies to Germany and destroy the headstones. There's no reason for us to keep the bodies of POWs, nazis or not.

Let them deal with them in whatever way they deal with other nazi graves.

[sarisataka]

10. Germany will not take them

Their law requires a relative has to accept the body of the POW. No relatives were found for the POWs who died and are still buried on US soil.

They were buried according to the conventions of the laws of war which require a POWs home country be identified. There was no specific guidance at first how to identify the deceased so a few cemeteries put a swastika on the stone, that being the German symbol of the time. Eventually army graves registration put out rules how to mark the graves of POWs but it was not required to retroactively change those already in place.

[BGBD]

12. I'm sure

there is some way to convince them to repatriate those remains. We are allied nations, it shouldn't that hard to get three bodies back to them and not have Nazis buried in our national cemeteries.

[sarisataka]

14. Repatriation of remains has been discussed over the years

and Germany has remained firm on its position.

It isn't just three bodies. There are several hundred members of the German military, Nazis if you will, who died as POWs and are still buried in the US. The difference of these three specifically is that they were among the earliest to die and had their graves marked with swastikas.

[jrandom421]

4. Some Ukranian History

The Ukraine has long been known as the "Breadbasket of Eastern Europe". When Ukraine became part of the USSR, Stalin started the Process of collectivization of all the farmland in the Ukraine. Many of the private moderately sized farms resisted, only to be ruthlessly slaughtered. The ensuing famine was called "the Holodomor", Ukrainian for "inflicting death by starvation". More than 3.9 million people in the Ukraine starved to death between 1931-1933.

Given this history with Stalin, it's no wonder the Ukrainians welcomed the Nazis as liberators. In response, the German General Staff raised and equipped units composed of Ukrainians to fight the Soviets on the Eastern Front.

Apparently this Orthodox Church graveyard was dedicated to the relatives who died fighting the Soviets.


https://www.history.com/news/ukrainian-famine-stalin

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaboration_in_German-occupied_Ukraine

[greenjar_01]

6. Ukrainians also very aggressively murdered Jews in large numbers

The Ukrainian military units under German command, the Ukrainian civilians, and everyone in between.

[Dr. Strange]

5. I almost posted this story in the Weird News Forum.

So much WTFery.

[applegrove]

7. I hope it comes down.

[Spazito]

8. Police apologize for saying anti-Nazi vandalism was 'hate motivated'

"Police are apologizing for saying they had launched a hate crime investigation into a vandalized memorial in an Oakville, Ont., cemetery that has been linked to the Nazis.

snip

The memorial in question, which is in a private cemetery, is meant to commemorate the 1st Ukrainian Division of the Ukrainian National Army, which was first known as the Waffen-SS "Galicia" Division.

snip

On Friday, Halton police walked back their original statement and apologized, saying the "initial information" indicated that the group being targeted was "Ukrainians in general," or members of this specific cultural centre.

snip

"We regret any hurt caused by misinformation that suggests that the Service in any way supports Nazism."

more


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/monument-vandalism-1.5654169

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. Thanks for that - things look more sensible now (nt)

[sarisataka]

11. Interesting history

Of a unit with a difficult past. The Ukrainians volunteered to fight because they hated the Soviets however that put them under nazi command. While the division as a whole apparently has never been identified as participating in atrocities several members and possibly sub units were under the command of nazi police forces for a time and did execute Jews and Poles.

The article does not really make clear if the unit is identified as the 1st division of the Ukrainian National Army, it's late war designation, or if it is listed as the 14th SS. A small difference as both fought for the Nazis however it may explain the graffiti if the SS designation is not a part of the monument.

It highlights the troubling history of the conquered nations who provided troops to the Nazi effort. Virtually every conquered country raised units SS unit of volunteers who fought for Hitler's war machine. In many cases the units were whole divisions that were noted for the ferocity they fought with on behalf of their conquerors. Poland is the only notable exception I can think of that did not raise such a unit.

Edit-> a little research has found that the monument does not list any unit name. The English wording says-
"TO THOSE WHO DIED FOR THE FREEDOM OF UKRAINE"

At the top, the monument prominently has the insignia of the 1st Division of the Ukrainian Army, which differs from the 14th SS on in that the SS insignia stopped at the border of the shield.



2nd edit-> while I admit to lacking knowledge of Canadian law, I fail to see where the graffiti should be classed as a hate crime

[GulfCoast66]

13. So it's a hate crime in Canada to hate Nazis?

I get a vandalism charge. But hate crime?

[GeorgeGist]

16. Who doesn't hate Nazis?