THUNDER BAY -- City leaders are speaking out after multiple people reported being hit with eggs thrown from passing vehicles earlier this week, which police are investigating as potential racially motivated acts of violence.
“We condemn hate motivated crimes and discriminatory attitudes," Coun. Paul Pugh, the acting mayor, said in a statement issued late Thursday afternoon on behalf of city council and administration.
On Wednesday, the Thunder Bay Police Service issued a media release announcing their Aboriginal Liaison Unit was investigating into two incidents that took place early Wednesday morning.
In the first case, a 21-year-old man was walking on Wentworth Crescent when he was struck by an egg. The man was taken to hospital for medical treatment.
Less than an hour later, a 28-year-old man was standing with two other people in the area of Red River Road and Cumberland Street when a vehicle with multiple passengers drove by, throwing a variety of objects including eggs, while racial comments were made.
Witnesses reported the vehicle being a silver four-door hatchback that was last seen travelling north on Cumberland Street.
"We encourage everyone to report hate crimes and stand up to racism," Pugh said.
"We must work together to make discriminatory attitudes and actions unacceptable in our community.”
Anyone with information about either of the two incidents is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers. People who experience or witness racism are urged to use the city's anti-racism incident reporting system by calling 211 or going online.
