Positive messages replace racist sign in downtown St. John's
Telephone poles in downtown St. John's were coated with positive messages Thursday night, after group of St. John's residents responded to a racist sign posted earlier this week.
On Wednesday, a hand-written sign with a racial slur and a swastika was spotted tacked to a pole at thew bottom of Long's Hill.
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While many were shocked by sign, on Thursday some residents fought back — putting up signs of their own, and using the hashtag #WeAllBelongNL to send out positive messages on social media.
A racist sign went up yesterday on Long's Hill. 24 hrs later, the only signs left are all love <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAllBelongNL?src=hash">#WeAllBelongNL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBCNL?src=hash">#CBCNL</a> <a href="http://t.co/WZioPVyRYa">pic.twitter.com/WZioPVyRYa</a>
—@andrewsampson_
Katie Jackson, who came out to show support, thinks posting the new signs was the appropriate response.
"I've been saying, 'Smother the hate with some love'," she said.
"I think it shows that the community doesn't support the previous sign that was up there."
Jackson said having so many positive signs replace the single hateful one shows that the vast majority of the community rejects the hateful message written on the original.
"St. John's is such a safe and awesome place, I've lived here my whole life," she said.
"I'm glad that there's people that have commented with love, instead of with awful hateful messages."
