Graffiti found on downtown Halifax streets is a hate crime, police say

A shoulder patch on the uniform of a Halifax Regional Police officer is seen in Halifax on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

HALIFAX — Halifax Regional Police says that graffiti discovered on downtown streets is a hate-motivated crime.

On Wednesday, graffiti on Barrington and South streets appeared bearing messages including “surgeries = mutilating.”

Police did not say what group was targeted by the graffiti.

However, accusations of mutilation are often directed toward transgender people who undergo gender-affirming surgery.

Halifax police say they investigated the graffiti and determined it was hate-motivated.

No one has so far been arrested.

Police also say there were posters plastered downtown with QR codes captioned with “surgery scam” and “physicians against.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2025.