The University of Victoria's (UVic) Multifaith Centre has been vandalized for the second time in span of a couple weeks, this time with feces being strewn about the inside of the building.
Oak Bay police on Friday said the alleged perpetrators appeared to have defecated or deposited feces inside the building, including in its meditation room.
"This is not acceptable, and we unequivocally condemn these incidents. Acts of hate, discrimination and harassment cannot and will not be tolerated at UVic," the university's president Kevin Hall said in a Thursday (July 25) statement.
Police are asking for witnesses to come forward as there are currently no suspects and it isn't clear who the vandalism was targeting. Oak Bay officers believe the feces were been spread in the centre between 6 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on July 24.
Police started an investigation earlier this month after Hall said anti-Muslim and Islamophobic posters were pasted on the centre, which aims to provide religious and spiritual support for the university community. Oak Bay police called both incidents very disturbing, but it couldn't say if the two events were related or involved the same suspects.
“These incidents are deeply troubling and go against the values of respect and inclusivity that our community upholds,” the department’s deputy Chief Kris Rice said in a news release. “We are taking these matters very seriously and are committed to finding those responsible. We urge anyone with information to come forward and assist us in ensuring such actions do not happen again.”
Security has been increased around the centre and the school said it's working with police to identify those responsible.
Hall said he and other UVic officials have been meeting with members of the Muslim community with the goal of creating a campus that's free of anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian and anti-Iranian hate.
Protesters with a Palestinian solidarity encampment that was on the university's quad for several months dismantled their site on July 22 after UVic issued them a trespassing order.
Hall said the Multifaith Centre is an important part of the school's inclusive community, one that deserves respect and protection.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at 250-592-8477.
