The tunnel mural of the Armenian Students’ Association (ASA) was found defaced and covered with propaganda posters on the morning of Feb. 27.
Serge Iskedijan, senior executive member of the ASA, said he and his club suspect the incident is a hate crime, and reported the incident to Campus Safety.
Iskedjian said Campus Safety has involved the Ottawa Police in the case.
“We were deeply appalled that they chose to attack the mural . . . The mural is a depiction of just our historical background,” he said. “There’s nothing political about the mural. We’re not sending a message, and we don’t want people to interpret it that way.”
According to a statement on the ASA’s Facebook page, the posters were not approved by the Carleton University Students’ Association, and were not found anywhere else on school grounds.
The ASA said in the statement that they condemn “any sort of hate speech and discrimination towards any race, ethnicity or faith.”
This mural defacing was not the first time his club has encountered hostility, according to Iskedjian.
The posters placed on the mural appeared to be part of a campaign called “Justice for Khojaly.” Khojaly is a city in Azerbaijan, neighbouring Armenia.
The Justice for Khojaly campaign aims to raise awareness for an incident that took place during the Nagorno-Karabakh War where Azerbajani civilians were killed by Armenian armed forces, according to the Justice for Khojaly website.
Gev Yeganian, president of ASA, said the Justice for Khojaly website is biased and that he encourages people to seek out information that is not one-sided.
Iskedjian said Campus Safety has forwarded information about the case to the intelligence unit of the Ottawa Police, which will determine whether or not the incident will be considered a hate crime.
The Charlatan reached out to Campus Safety regarding the incident with the ASA’s mural but did not receive a response in time of publication.
– Photo is provided
