Update: Sept. 19, 4:12 p.m.— Kelowna Lake Country candidate Tracy Gray says while she is disapointed in Liberal leader Justin Trudeau for his past actions dressing up in blackface and brownface, vandalizing signs of her local Liberal opponent Stephen Fuhr in reaction is unacceptable.
A number of Fuhr’s signs were defaced over night with Fuhr’s face on his campaign signs coloured in with black marker.
“A group of volunteers and I were door knocking yesterday when this story broke, and residents told us about it on their doorsteps,” said Gray Thursday afternoon.
“This morning our sign team was out checking on our signs and saw defaced signs. We reached out to (Fuhr’s) campaign to let them know and I called (Fuhr) directly to let him know that this is unacceptable and I do not condone this,” said Gray.
Original story—At least three campaign signs by Kelowna-Lake Country Liberal candidate Stephen Fuhr were vandalized overnight with his face coloured in with black marker.
The vandalism follows a bombshell report released by Time Magazine yesterday that published a photo of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dressed up as Aladdin with his face and hands covered in dark makeup and wearing a turban during an Arabian Nights-themed party at a Vancouver private school where he worked in 2001.
Fuhr, seeking re-election as the incumbent Kelowna-Lake Country MP, said the vandalism to his signs is very unfortunate.
“I’m just trying to build a better community here,” said Fuhr. “We raise money to pay for those signs and people volunteer to go put them out. To see people go out of their way to do something like that I think is really too bad.”
READ MORE: Third instance of Trudeau in skin-darkening makeup emerges
READ MORE: Party leaders react to Trudeau’s brownface photo bombshell
On Wednesday night Trudeau profusely apologized during a hastily held press conference on board his plane and acknowledged that it was a racist act.
During the press conference, he also admitted to having worn makeup during a high-school talent show while performing “Banana Boat Song (Day-O).”
“The fact that he has taken ownership for it and has apologized is very important,” said Fuhr. “It is very clear that he doesn’t have any negative racial views, I’ve certainly never seen that. He has always been a great supporter of the LGBTQ community.”
Since then Global News has found another video of Trudeau in the 1990s dressed up as blackface sticking out his tongue for the camera and raising his arms over his head.
All three leaders for the other main political parties have condemned Trudeau for his actions.
@Niftymittens14
daniel.taylor@kelownacapnews.com
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