[加拿大乐活网lahoo.ca 讯]列治文RCMP已经向律政厅提交了对泼咖啡事件肇事者的诉讼建议。相信这是亚裔群体反抗歧视的一个初步结果。
但相关人士认为，这并不意味着此案已进入了诉讼程序。还需要BC省律政厅和相关阁员审视该案件，看到否进入司法审查，能否实现近年来大温地区针对华裔的歧视、仇恨案件诉讼的“零的突破”，还有待观察。
相关阅读：
- 反歧视亚裔仇恨犯罪小组强烈要求皇家骑警检控列治文仇恨犯罪嫌疑人
- 大温华社关注“泼咖啡”事件：65家华人组织联合发出致省长、议员、警局等的公开信
- 大温华社关注“泼咖啡”事件：华联会致列治文警察局的公开信
- 大温华社关注“泼咖啡”事件：枫叶反歧视协会致BC省长、省司法厅、列治文市府及RCMP的公开信
目前，由“反歧视亚裔仇恨犯罪小组”发起，众多社会团体支持的“强烈要求皇家骑警检控列治文仇恨犯罪嫌疑人”的公开信请愿签名，仍然在进行。
另外，5月6日下午1:15（温哥华时间）请愿发起者将在列治文市政府广场举行递交公开信活动，据悉，列治文市长已同意到场参加。同时发起者也邀请了列治文的RCMP到场。会上，“反歧视亚裔仇恨犯罪小组”将进一步表达最终诉求。
5月6日的活动也将在ZOOM上直播，感兴趣的人可以登陆账号“608 608 6868”关注。
5月9日、16日、23日下午2-4点，还将在列治文天车终点站、温哥华美术馆广场、本拿比天车Metro站、高贵林市中心公园等地举行地面签字活动及解封后的静站计划。
以下为公开信中英文全文：
Urging RCMP press charges on Richmond Hate Crime Suspects
To: Premier John Horgan, Attorney General David Eby, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Mike Farnworth, BC RCMP Headquarter, Mayor of Richmond, Malcolm Brodie and Richmond RCMP
We are writing this open letter to voice our deep concerns regarding the hate crime incident that happened inside and outside the Rocanini Coffee Roasters, 3900 Moncton St., in Richmond on March 29, 2021. The victims are Chinese Canadians working in the coffee shop. They recorded this hate crime incident and reported it to the Richmond RCMP. An RCMP officer arrived at the crime scene, witnessed the continuation of the crime, and arrested one of the two suspects there.
It has been almost a month since the Richmond RCMP made the arrest. To date, we have not heard that charges are laid in this case. According to the Criminal Code, in our opinion, the two suspects are co-offenders of three criminal offenses:
(1) publicly inciting hatred as defined under s.319(1), given that they were yelling racist slurs (“F Chinese”) both inside the coffee shop and on the road outside the shop, and their actions obviously led to a breach of the peace;
(2) common assault as defined under s. 265, by spilling hot coffee directly on a victim, and they did so because of an obviously hate motivation against Chinese Canadians;
(3) mischief as defined under s.430(1)(c) and (d), given what they willfully indeed obstructed and interrupted the lawful operation of the coffee shop.
There is strong evidence to prove the case since the whole incident was captured by surveillance cameras and video recorder. We have all seen the posted videos online. The public, particularly the Chinese Canadian community, has voiced their concerns and strongly condemned this hate crime incident. We now urge the Richmond RCMP to press charges against both suspects according to the Criminal Code and BC’s prosecution policy on hate crime.
Any delay in action will damage the integrity of our legal system and the credibility of the RCMP. Given the overwhelming evidence that a racially motivated assault had been committed, it will be most disappointing, and dangerous, if no charge is laid against these suspects. The City of Richmond and the RCMP must not send a wrong message to the public that hate crimes against Chinese Canadians and other Asian Canadians are acceptable here.
We would like to draw attention to a call by British Columbia’s Premier John Horgan that law enforcers must act on hate crimes. In a CBC report on February 18, 2021, Mr. Horgan said violence against people of color needs to be treated as a hate crime.
