Activists Defaced A Sir John A. Macdonald Statue In Montreal

"John A. Macdonald was a white supremacist."

A group of "anti-racist, anti-colonialist, anti-capitalist" activists in Montreal painted a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald to highlight the racist policies of the first Canadian prime minister.

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An anonymous group of activists took credit for defacing the monument in a statement posted online Sunday.

"John A. Macdonald was a white supremacist. He directly contributed to the genocide of Indigenous peoples with the creation of the brutal residential schools system, as well as other measures meant to destroy native cultures and traditions," reads the statement.

"Macdonald’s statue belongs in a museum, not as a monument taking up public space in Montreal."

The group said its action was partly inspired by the movement to remove Confederate monuments in the United States.

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The group also cited activism by many Indigenous groups to critically re-evaluate Canadian history, such as Idle No More's Unsettling Canada 150 campaign.

"With all that inspiring and amazing anti-colonial and anti-racist activity targeting statues and other symbols, we decided to make a little contribution from Montreal."

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The group stressed that it was unaffiliated with the massive street demonstrations that took place over the weekend in protest of Bill 62, the recently adopted Quebec law that bans face coverings in some scenarios. Critics say the law singles out Muslim women who choose to cover their faces.