A Candian war memorial in British Colombia was spray-painted with a pro-vaccine message on the nation’s Remembrance Day.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Cranbrook announced they were investigating the graffiti scrawled across the town’s Cenotaph, which read, “The real heroes are the vaccinated” in green paint.
The Mounties were called to the scene around 7 A.M. after a passerby noticed the vandalism.
“As a community, we are beyond disappointed by the disrespectful actions of those responsible for defacing such an important monument on such an important day for all Canadians,” the City of Cranbrook posted on Facebook.
The city added, “This act does not speak to the character and values of our citizens and our community.”
Canada honors its veterans each year on Nov. 11, known as Remembrance Day.
“At about 50,000 strong, less than half a percent of Canadians are currently enlisted in their country’s armed forces, and among NATO members, only tiny Luxembourg spends less of its GDP on defense,” says The Canadian Guide.
Canada has a higher rate of vaccination than the United States.
Nationally, the population is about 75% vaccinated, noted Fox News in its coverage of the crime. As of Nov. 11, over 50 million doses of the vaccine have been administered to citizens.
Health Canada announced on Nov. 9 that it had approved Pfizer’s vaccine for booster shots.
“The clearance of the booster shot, which can be taken at least six months after the primary regimen, would help people get additional protection against the coronavirus at a time when the Delta variant has spurred a surge in cases and hospitalizations,” per Reuters.
Cranbrook city workers were able to remove the writing before a prescheduled event at 10:15 A.M.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Remembrance Day “fell” on Nov. 11 this year, when in fact Remembrance Day is always celebrated on Nov. 11.
