'Harlem Shake' video mocks Surrey gun violence

A still taken from the YouTube video "Harlem Shake Surrey Edition," which makes fun at Surrey's perceived violence problem. (YouTube)

A “Harlem Shake” video circulating online pokes fun at Surrey’s perceived violence problem, but not everyone is laughing.

The video, titled “Harlem Shake Surrey Edition,” was uploaded to YouTube a few weeks ago and has already attracted 15,000 views and counting.

One Surrey politician thinks the video is an unfair portrayal of a city that’s worked tirelessly to turn around its reputation as a place where crime runs rampant.

“To tell you the truth I think it’s a little bit ridiculous,” said Surrey Coun. Barinder Rasode. “I think Surrey is just so, so much bigger than that, that things like this are actually now irrelevant.”

Rasode said Surrey is safer than ever and numbers support that.

“With 1,200 people a month choosing to make Surrey their home, more children than any city in Canada, and the number of seniors here is going to go up by 179 per cent,” Rasode said.

“I don’t think at all that it’s a reflection of our community and our residents here.”

Similar to other “Harlem Shake” videos, the clip begins with one man dancing alone in costume while two others play basketball in the background, seemingly unaware of what’s going on in front of them.

But when the bass kicks in – usually the point where a crowd of dancers suddenly appears – another man steps into frame and shoots the dancer.

Before he leaves, he shoots one of the basketball players.

The murder rate in Surrey has been steadily declining since 2009, but that hasn’t stopped people from portraying the city as a gun-filled gangland.

Earlier this year, the city tried to shut down a t-shirt designer after he modified the Surrey city logo to include guns and bullet holes.

“It is so not the Surrey that we are and that we know, and that we are growing and growing to be,” Rasode said.

The Harlem Shake is an internet meme that went viral in February. While videos vary, they usually begin with one unusually dressed person dancing to the song “Harlem Shake” by electronic artist Baauer.

When the song’s pounding bass kicks in, the video suddenly changes to a shot of a massive crowd thrashing wildly in even more ridiculous costumes.

With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Scott Hurst