Canada PM condemns pepper spraying of Syrian refugees

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the pepper spraying of a group of Syrian refugees in Vancouver, which police are treating as a hate crime, the Daily Mail reported on Sunday.

Police said the incident happened Friday night when people had gathered outside the Muslim Association of Canada Center during a "welcome night" for newly arrived Syrian refugees. A man wearing a white hoodie apparently rode by on a bicycle and sprayed 15 to 30 people, police said.

"This isn't who we are — and doesn't reflect the warm welcome Canadians have offered," Trudeau posted on Twitter on Saturday.

Vancouver Police Sgt. Randy Fincham said no one has been arrested.

"Although the motive for the pepper spraying is unknown at this time, investigators are treating it as a hate-motivated crime, until determined otherwise," he said in a news release.

Canada's government has committed to welcoming 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of next month. Thousands have already arrived.

Source: MENA