Police looking for a group they say has been defacing Leamington's rainbow crosswalk

Rainbows may have been celebrated during Windsor-Essex Pride Fest last weekend, but at least one rainbow in Leamington has been the subject of repeated vandalism.

On Sunday, Leamington OPP announced they are looking for a group of males responsible for defacing the municipality's rainbow-coloured crosswalk on Erie Street South.

According to police, the vandalism took place on Aug. 13 between 12 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. The crossing's surface was marred by black spray paint and paint spilled from cans.

Images from social media show that obscenities and anti-LGBTQ slurs were written on the rainbow.

Police said they have determined that the latest vandalism was committed by six males, all of them 17 to 25 years old in appearance.

All six suspects kept their faces covered with dark bandannas during the crime, police said.

One suspect was wearing a yellow sweater. Another wore a blue sweater with lettering on it. A third suspect was wearing grey sweatpants.

Police are categorizing the incident as mischief under the Criminal Code of Canada.

OPP stated that they don't tolerate or condone "acts of hate" against persons or property based on a number of aspects, including "sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression."

"These grounds are referenced in the Criminal Code of Canada and the Ontario Human Rights Code," OPP noted.

Peter Neufeld, Leamington's Chief Administrative Officer, said on Monday that the crosswalk is "a symbol of welcomeness and inclusivity." He declared that its vandalism is "unacceptable."

"We will fix our crosswalk and continue to fix it as many times as necessary to ensure our message remains - that everyone is welcome in our community," Neufeld said.

The rainbow crosswalk in Leamington was completed earlier this year at 500 Erie St. S., near the parking lot of the Ministry of Transportation's ferry terminal.

According to a report to town council, the crosswalk is meant to be "an expression of the municipality's solidarity with the LGBTQ2S community."

The Municipality of Leamington's current strategic plan states that being "inclusive in everything we do" is a key value.

The crosswalk shows the "Progress Pride flag" via coloured beads fixed with epoxy to the surface of the concrete. The system purports to be resistant to fading, as well as less slippery than traffic paint.

Adding the feature cost the municipality an additional $25,000 on the pedestrian crossing project, which council approved on April 11.

Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald argued in favour of the expenditure, saying at the time: "I think this takes a courageous decision."

"I feel that we need to lead by example, and I'm willing to stand up and lead by example in this case."

Anyone with information about this vandalism is encouraged to contact OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers.