RCMP investigate video of teens yelling racial slur at New Year's Day party in Alberta town
Police in St. Paul deciding if charges such as public incitement of hatred can be laid
Mounties are investigating a video posted on social media that shows teens in St. Paul, Alta., counting down and screaming a racial slur during a New Year's Day party.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Troy Savinkoff said an investigator has already spoken to many of the teens who attended the party in St. Paul on Saturday.
Savinkoff said two people complained about the event to officers and the investigator is deciding whether charges such as public incitement of hatred can be laid.
The video posted on Instagram shows a male standing above a crowd of partygoers with drinks in their hands and telling them to scream a racial slur against Black people on the count of three.
The crowd screams the slur as the sound of laughter is heard from the person recording.
Glen Brodziak, superintendent of St. Paul Education, said he was disheartened to see the video and the matter is being reviewed.
St. Paul, a town of about 5,900 people, is 200 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
