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Surrey RCMP probe garbage-throwing 91Ƶracism91Ƶ confrontation at Aspen Park in Newton

Argument between elderly women and other park goers at Aspen Park in Newton on July 28 generates allegations of racism
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Surrey RCMP Corporal Elenore Sturko says police 91Ƶdon91Ƶt have enough evidence91Ƶ to support an assault charge in connection with an argument between a group of elderly women and other park goers that occurred at Aspen Park in Newton on July 28 that has gone viral with allegations of racism.

Still, an investigation continues. 91ƵWe have done a neighbourhood canvass to see if there is any other video, surveillance video available,91Ƶ Sturko said. 91ƵOf course responses change based on revolving information.91Ƶ

Sturko said a 91Ƶthird party91Ƶ called police about a disturbance at the park but no allegations of racism had originally been reported to police. 91ƵIt came in as a disturbance with a group of 20-something year old men shouting at a group of elderly South Asian woman. When officer got there, there was no group of young men.

Sergeant Elenore Sturko

91ƵHe found there was a woman there and another man who were in a dispute over garbage with the group of South Asian women and their grandkids. He determined that some garbage was thrown in the general direction of the women and no assault had taken place, he confirmed that at the time.91Ƶ

Sturko said the officer spoke to the woman who allegedly threw the garbage onto the ground, and the woman then left the park. 91ƵThe officer started cleaning up the garbage and invited the young kids that were also there to assist if they wanted to,91Ƶ and then concluded the file. Several days later, a social media post, posted on Instagram by a third party who Sturko said was not there at the time of the incident.

After , RCMP decided to assign a couple of officers to 91Ƶmake contact if they could91Ƶ with all involved and are continuing to investigate. 91ƵIt91Ƶs believed that it actually was a dispute that started to emerge over a few different encounters.91Ƶ

91ƵSome of the information that we got from social media may not be accurate,91Ƶ she said. 91ƵHowever, what can be seen was that there was some racialized language being used in that disturbance and that91Ƶs obviously concerning and so it91Ƶs something that we have been speaking about with all the parties that were involved and certainly don91Ƶt condone any of that activity.91Ƶ

91ƵSome of the allegations that were made on the social media post were not substantiated with the interviews that we did,91Ƶ Sturko added. 91ƵThere was allegations on there that people had dog excrement thrown at them and on them, and french fries in their faces and stuff like that but none of the women who were part of the group, they did not provide that as part of their statement.91Ƶ

Sturko expressed surprise upon learning of news reports Monday that indicated the couple subsequently offered an apology through the RCMP.

91ƵI don91Ƶt know where they get their information because that91Ƶs not a question they asked me,91Ƶ she said.

Meantime, Imtiaz Popat, co-founder of the Coalition Against Bigotry-Pacific, issued a press release Aug. 3 titled 91ƵSurrey RCMP is Part of the Racist Problem.91Ƶ

91ƵSurrey RCMP dismissed the racist attack over the weekend and Aspen Park and blamed the South Asian grandmothers for littering and forced them to pick up garbage that was thrown at them by racists,91Ƶ Popat claimed.

Sturko replied that is incorrect. 91ƵNo one was forced, I think it91Ƶs important to note that the officer was trying to defuse a situation, a neighbourhood dispute. He was unaware of the racialized comments at that time.91Ƶ



tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com

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About the Author: Tom Zytaruk

I write unvarnished opinion columns and unbiased news reports for the Surrey Now-Leader.
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