Vancouver mayor says home was targeted with graffiti on Halloween

Vancouver MayorKenSimsays his home was defaced with "hateful" graffiti on Halloween night.

Simsaid in a statement that he can't fully express the pain of seeing the words sprayed across his home, and that it feelsheartbreaking to have the vandalism takeaway a place where his family felt safe.

Photos shared by the mayor's office show large spray-painted messages in English saying "KenSimhates poor people," and "we hateSimcity," while messages inMandarin and Cantonese use expletives and make apparent threats. One message translates roughly to "cover the family with a shovel," according to Sim.

In his statement, Sim said his family has faced multiple hate-fuelled attacks this year, including the threat of a bomb placed under Sim's vehicle and a protest of dozens of people who surrounded his home.

He said those kinds ofacts of hate happen all too often and not just to him and his family, but to others across the city.

The attacks on his family have crossed a line that no one should ever have to face, Sim said.

"But we are stronger than hate. My family, like so many others, will not let these actions define us,"Simsaid in his statement.

A spokesperson for the Vancouver Police Department said they are investigating the graffiti as a case of mischief.

"Our Major Crime Section is investigating this file as we would any other mischief reported to us," Const. Tania Visintinsaid in a statement.