Severed pig's head on rainbow crosswalk at Alberta school prompts RCMP investigation
CBC
Parkland RCMP is investigating a possible hate crime after a severed pig's head was found on the rainbow crosswalk of a school in central Alberta.
The head was reported to police by a parent on Sunday and police believe it was left on Graminia School grounds in Spruce Grove, Alta., sometime over the weekend.
The incident is now being investigated as a hate-motivated crime.
"An unsophisticated person might think this was a prank. An objective viewer would see it as highly intolerant and provocative," Staff Sgt. Ian Gillan with Parkland RCMP said in a news release.
Police believe the head came from a domesticated pig and that it was placed in the middle of the crosswalk intentionally to disturb students, staff, and parents.
"Any deliberate attacks on this work or directly toward students or staff in the LGBTQ2S+ community are taken very seriously," read a statement from Graminia School, which serves students from kindergarten through to Grade 9.
The school has a gay-straight alliance, and students from the social justice club painted the rainbow crosswalk in 2020.
"It's not a common occurrence, which is why it has raised red flags with us. I wouldn't say that this is a frequent narrative in our community, " said RCMP Const. Sarah Williams.
In a post on its website, Graminia School said it is offering supports to students and staff who may feel targeted or traumatized by the attack.
"These actions are never okay, especially when you are dealing with the ripple effects this may have on staff and students," said Lorraine Stewart, board chair of the Parkland School Division in a news release.
Melissa Balfour's 11-year-old daughter attends Graminia School. She said she was not aware of the incident until Wednesday but the incident has left her concerned and upset.
"These are just kids," she said. "We're trying to teach our kids to love everybody equally. It doesn't matter who they love.
"I hope that this isn't a hate crime or anything, being that it's on our crosswalk rainbow."
Officers are seeking any information pertaining to recently missing or mutilated pigs, and are asking butchers and meat packers who recently sold, or had a pig's head stolen, to contact Parkland RCMP.
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