Community members in Norwich, Ontario, Canada are expressing concern after a Pride flag at Emily Stowe Public School was targeted for the second time in just one week. According to reports, two unidentified suspects cut down the school’s metal flagpole Saturday night and stole the Pride flag that had been flying from it. The incident follows an earlier act of vandalism earlier this month, when a Pride flag at the school was removed and set on fire. Thames Valley District School Board said in a statement to parents.
“The Pride flag is a visible reminder that the 2SLGBTQIA+ identities are affirmed and that belonging matters. There is no place for hatred and discrimination in our school community.” Police have identified the suspects as two thin white males believed to be in their late teens or early 20s. Residents say Pride-related vandalism has become a recurring problem. Norwich resident Jeff told CTV News, “It’s every year, and it escalates every year, it gets worse.” Norwich reportedly experienced four Pride flag theft or vandalism incidents last year, with similar cases also reported in 2022 and 2023.
