Swish Brite cleaner used to ignite Whitby soccer field swastika, police confirm

Police have confirmed the arsonist behind the swastika in the Whitby soccer field used Swish Brite cleaner to set the blaze.

The partially drawn anti-Semitic mark was burned into the grass at Prince of Wales Park on August 9, 2024, at approximately 10:00 p.m. When Durham Police officers arrived they found the symbol in the grass of the soccer field. They also found a blue container in the field.

Their investigation found this container was full of Swish Brite solution of of 12% sodium hypochlorite, commonly used as a powerful industrial cleaner or pool pH balancer.

The product is not advised to be used on floors as it’s too powerful for everyday use. “This highly chlorinated product is designed for use where maximum disinfection is required or for balancing pH levels in swimming pools,” Swish Brite describes.

The solution is so potent “it is important to exercise extreme caution due to its caustic and corrosive properties. It can be damaging to skin, eyes, and lungs in high concentrations.” Police have asked anyone who routinely uses this product to check if their container is missing.

The vandalism has prompted widespread condemnation from Mayor Elizabeth Roy who called it “an attack on the values that define us as a community.” MP Ryan Turnbull later echoed these comments saying, “This act of hate and vandalism has no place in our community and undermines the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion that we hold dear.”

Videos

Read More

Jewish advocacy group B’nai Brith Canada said “This shocking act of hate in Whitby is a stark reminder of the troubling rise in antisemitism across Canada.” To their point hate incident have been on the rise across Ontaio over the past few years.

According to Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw Toronto has seen 1,556 suspected hate crime calls for service since since October 7 last year, the day of the Hamas attack on Israel. More than half of these incidents were anti-Semitic as of March.

“The number of reported hate crimes has been steadily increasing since 2018, which is of increasing concern to the Service and to the residents of Toronto,” Demkiw said. “The Service is providing an external dashboard to promote transparency in hate crime data and trends, to help us co-design, co-develop and co-deliver strategies needed to keep our communities safe.”

Anyone with information can call police at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 1877 or 1831 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).