Hate incidents on the rise in BC since start of pandemic

By Mata Press Service

One in four people in B.C. have experienced or witnessed a hate incident since the start of the pandemic, states a new poll by BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner (BCOHRC).

“It is an ugly and disturbing trend. Some members of our communities are being treated as less than human and therefore somehow deserving of vitriol and violence. It is devastating and unacceptable,” said Commissioner Kasari Govender.

“But hate is not inevitable. That’s why we are conducting a public inquiry into hate in the pandemic and why we need to hear from people who have firsthand experiences of hate. We want to ensure our recommendations are rooted in the experiences of those most impacted.”

BCOHRC launched its year-long inquiry in August 2021. The intent of the inquiry is to examine hate in all its forms: not only racism and racial hate, but also hate directed at groups protected under B.C.’s Human Rights Code—including hate perpetuated on the basis of religion, gender identity, disability, Indigeneity, sexual orientation, poverty or homelessness.

People who have experiences to share are asked to fill out a confidential, online survey: bchumanrights.ca/
hate-survey

The survey is available online from January 31 to March 6, 2022, in 15 languages.

“By sharing their experiences, people can make a difference,” said Govender. “If you are one of the 26 percent of British Columbians impacted by hate during the pandemic, our inquiry team wants to hear from you.”

Poll highlights

• Nine percent of respondents directly experienced a hate incident during the pandemic, including 20 percent of Indigenous respondents, 15 percent of East Asian origin.

• 26 percent of respondents witnessed hate incidents during the pandemic—including 50% of those aged 18-to-24.

• 16 percent of those polled have been affected by hate incidents involving racism.

• 80 percent of British Columbians are concerned about the rise in hate incidents