Hateful signs about Israel-Hamas conflict ramping up tensions in Winnipeg

Tensions in Winnipeg are growing amidst the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, causing some members of the city's Jewish and Palestinian communities to contact police about hateful signs at protests and posts being circulated on social media. 

Priel Lisak, a Winnipegger from Israel who still has family living there, said when she saw a recent photo of a protester's sign depicting an Israeli flag being thrown in the garbage with the caption, 'Please keep the world clean," she reported it to police. Lisak said she "absolutely believes in people's right to speak about whatever they think is wrong," but feels there's a way to do so that's not damaging to others. 

"When I see something like a war so far away escalate … it kind of feels like it's being brought home," said Lisak. "It definitely worries myself and others around me, my family and my community." 

WATCH | Hateful signs about Israel-Hamas conflict ramping up tensions in Winnipeg:

Winnipeg police have seen an escalation in suspected hate crimes as the deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to tensions in the city, police officials said during a news conference Thursday. 

And the same hateful messaging Lisak saw from a protest sign is also being circulated in reverse on social media with an image of a Palestinian flag being thrown in the garbage. 

"I don't agree with this kind of thing," said Lisak. "I think on both sides, and I've seen this in Palestinian protests and I've seen this in Israeli protests, there are definitely individuals who take it a step too far." 

Ramsey Zeid, the president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba, said he's also contacted police about hateful images on social media. He added the sign seen at the protest with the Israeli flag being thrown in the garbage doesn't represent the city's Palestinian community. 

He added that so many other people came to the rally with positive intentions the day the photo was taken, but that's being put to the side because of the sign. 

"I don't think it represents the whole community just as the same way an Israeli would say that their posts don't represent the whole community," he said. "So, you can't let one person represent a whole community." 

The community leader said he tries to keep hateful messages out of the protests, but admits it can be hard in a large crowd

"We have volunteers that are going around all the time looking at the signs, taking signs down, You know, keeping people in the rights, in the right lanes and the right, you know, making sure everybody's safe, that everything is it's not anti-Semitic, it's not anti hate. But things slip by."

Kurt Phillips is a board member with the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. He said rather than focusing on one image, it's important to understand that people will use what's happening on the Middle East to fuel antisemitic and Islamophobic rhetoric. 

"I think that we're living in a time no where emotions are incredibly raw and people are lashing out," he said. "I'm not going to say that any Islamophobic or antisemitic sign or message is understandable or acceptable at all, I don't think that we can go down that path.