One of federal Liberal candidate Dan Ruimy鈥檚 election signs has been vandalized with blackface.

The incumbent for Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge saw the sign at the roundabout on Airport Way, near the Golden Ears Bridge, when coming back from a rally on Tuesday night.

鈥淚 never expected to see this here. This is disheartening,鈥� said Ruimy. 鈥淔or me, it makes me a lot stronger to stand up against racism.鈥�

The Liberal campaign was rocked by a last week, after images of a younger Justin Trudeau wearing blackface and dressed in ethnic costumes surfaced.

Ruimy defended his party鈥檚 leader, saying his policies as prime minister show he is not racist, and that he apologized and 鈥渙wned鈥� his mistakes.

He said such public racism 鈥� like putting blackface on his signs 鈥� is not socially productive.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not who we are. It hurts everybody, and makes everybody look bad.鈥�

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He acknowledged that publicizing the vandalism could make the problem worse, but wanted to call out the perpetrators.

鈥淭his is unacceptable. I will not let them win.鈥�

Ruimy said six other Liberal signs have been cut, knocked down or demolished.

The riding鈥檚 Conservative candidate Marc Dalton said he 鈥渃ondemns this disgusting act of vandalism.

鈥淲hat happened is totally inappropriate.鈥�

He did, however, also condemn Trudeau鈥檚 鈥渧arious blackface activities.鈥�

鈥淭hey are made worse by him labelling his opponents bigots, racists and white supremacists,鈥� said Dalton. 鈥淭he hypocrisy of it all is a big disturbing.鈥�

Daldon said his campaign has also had problems with stolen and vandalized signs.

@NeilCorbett18
ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
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