Canadian Police Handle Nazi Monument Vandalism as War Memorial, Reports Say
A journalist may face incarceration for reportedly vandalizing a memorial dedicated to Ukrainian Nazi collaborators at a cemetery in Alberta. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A journalist in Alberta is facing potential prison time for allegedly vandalizing a memorial dedicated to Ukrainian Nazi collaborators at a local cemetery.
Authorities in Edmonton, Alberta have classified a monument honoring Ukrainian veterans who fought for Nazi Germany as a protected “war memorial” in charging journalist Duncan Kinney with defacement. This information was reported by The Maple, a Canadian news website. The Canadian government has faced accusations from Russia about harboring Nazi war criminals who immigrated to Canada after World War II.
Kinney is accused of defacing the monument in St. Michael’s Cemetery by spraying it with “Nazi Monument 14th Waffen SS” in August 2021. The structure commemorates veterans of the SS “1st Galician Division,” comprised primarily of Western Ukrainians implicated in war crimes. Many members of this division settled in Canada post-WWII.
Additionally, Kinney faced previous charges in October 2022 for allegedly spraying “Actual Nazi” on a statue of Roman Shukhevych, a Ukrainian nationalist and Nazi collaborator, at the Ukrainian Youth Unity Complex in Edmonton. Shukhevych was known for his involvement in mass atrocities against Poles and Jews during the war.
Kinney denies the allegations and is contesting the charges, asserting that he is being targeted by police for his investigations into various instances of misconduct within the force. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.
Former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk criticized the authorities, claiming they are misapplying the law by extending protections to wartime perpetrators and those guilty of war crimes. “I think it clearly shows that Edmonton police and the Crown prosecutor’s office… are lacking, grossly, in historical knowledge,” Lukaszuk remarked.
Notably, the monument Kinney allegedly defaced has a familial connection to Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Peter McFarlane, a journalist and author, reported that Freeland’s maternal grandfather, Michael Chomiak, served as a Nazi propagandist during the war and was instrumental in fundraising for the monument.
In September 2023, Yaroslav Hunka, a 99-year-old member of the 1st Galician Division, received significant attention after receiving two standing ovations in the Canadian parliament during a visit from Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. Following the incident, the parliamentary speaker resigned, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued an apology.
Russia condemned Canada for allegedly “whitewashing” the Nazi regime's crimes, highlighting the government's failure to pursue prosecution against Hunka and its refusal to extradite him to Moscow.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
Authorities in Edmonton, Alberta have classified a monument honoring Ukrainian veterans who fought for Nazi Germany as a protected “war memorial” in charging journalist Duncan Kinney with defacement. This information was reported by The Maple, a Canadian news website. The Canadian government has faced accusations from Russia about harboring Nazi war criminals who immigrated to Canada after World War II.
Kinney is accused of defacing the monument in St. Michael’s Cemetery by spraying it with “Nazi Monument 14th Waffen SS” in August 2021. The structure commemorates veterans of the SS “1st Galician Division,” comprised primarily of Western Ukrainians implicated in war crimes. Many members of this division settled in Canada post-WWII.
Additionally, Kinney faced previous charges in October 2022 for allegedly spraying “Actual Nazi” on a statue of Roman Shukhevych, a Ukrainian nationalist and Nazi collaborator, at the Ukrainian Youth Unity Complex in Edmonton. Shukhevych was known for his involvement in mass atrocities against Poles and Jews during the war.
Kinney denies the allegations and is contesting the charges, asserting that he is being targeted by police for his investigations into various instances of misconduct within the force. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.
Former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk criticized the authorities, claiming they are misapplying the law by extending protections to wartime perpetrators and those guilty of war crimes. “I think it clearly shows that Edmonton police and the Crown prosecutor’s office… are lacking, grossly, in historical knowledge,” Lukaszuk remarked.
Notably, the monument Kinney allegedly defaced has a familial connection to Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Peter McFarlane, a journalist and author, reported that Freeland’s maternal grandfather, Michael Chomiak, served as a Nazi propagandist during the war and was instrumental in fundraising for the monument.
In September 2023, Yaroslav Hunka, a 99-year-old member of the 1st Galician Division, received significant attention after receiving two standing ovations in the Canadian parliament during a visit from Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. Following the incident, the parliamentary speaker resigned, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued an apology.
Russia condemned Canada for allegedly “whitewashing” the Nazi regime's crimes, highlighting the government's failure to pursue prosecution against Hunka and its refusal to extradite him to Moscow.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
