Incendiary device thrown at Vancouver synagogue, Jewish Federation says

An incendiary device was thrown at a Vancouver synagogue Thursday night, leading to increased police presence at local institutions, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver says.

An incendiary device was thrown at a Vancouver synagogue Thursday night, leading to increased police presence at local institutions, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver says.

In a statement shared online Thursday, the federation said the device was thrown at Schara Tzedeck synagogue on Oak Street at about 9:30 p.m. According to the federation, nobody was injured and damage to the building was minor.

The federation called the incident a "deliberate act of hate" that was intended to "intimidate" the Jewish community.

"We refuse to be intimidated or to hide. Our community is resilient, and we are proud to be an important part of the multicultural fabric of our city, our province and our country," the federation said in its statement.

In a statement on social media, Premier David Eby called the incident a "disgusting act of antisemitism," adding it's "reprehensible and has absolutely no place in B.C."

"We stand with the Jewish community in B.C. and unequivocally condemn antisemitism and all forms of hatred," Eby's statement said, adding he was relieved to hear nobody was hurt.

Canada's special envoy for combating antisemitism, Deborah Lyons, called the incident "horrible news" and said on social media that "incendiary rhetoric leads to incendiary violence."