THUNDER BAY, Ont. -- Officials are calling an assault on a First Nations man earlier this week in Thunder Bay, Ont., a hate crime.
Thunder Bay police say the 52-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment after he was found injured near a bus terminal on Wednesday night.
Police said Friday they would not comment further as the investigation was ongoing.
In a statement released Thursday, Mayor Keith Hobbs condemned the incident and pictures posted to social media showing the bloodied victim.
Hobbs says "violence, hate crimes, discriminatory attitudes and actions are unacceptable in our community."
In a Facebook post, Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day called it racism and "hate at its most vicious," adding that the political response to such hatred hasn't done a thing so far.
"Our people need help," Day wrote. "Leadership needs to step the hell up and do something -- this man has a right to safety, dignity and a right to justice."
Hobbs encouraged everyone to report hate crimes and stand up to racism.
"We are better than this," he said.
In response to an incident of violence Mayor Keith Hobbs made the following statement on behalf of City Council and...
Posted by City of Thunder Bay - Municipal Government, Ontario, Canada on Thursday, 12 July 2018
. �� RACISM IN TBAY NEEDS A RESPONSE Leadership and a Process, needed NOW! NOTE: I am...
Posted by Isadore Wiindawtegowinini Day on Thursday, 12 July 2018
