A Victoria man has been charged with a hate crime following a months-long investigation into an incident at a downtown protest more than a year ago.
The charge stems from a March 17th, 2024 demonstration on the lawn of the BC Legislature, where officers responded to reports that antisemitic comments had been directed at a group of Jewish demonstrators.
Following an investigation by the VicPD’s Major Crime Unit, 28-year-old Khalid El Boyok was charged with one count of public incitement of hatred under the criminal code of Canada.
Police said a warrant for El Boyok’s arrest was issued, and he was taken into custody on June 11th.
“The Victoria Police Department takes all hate offences seriously, regardless of the targeted group,” said Detective Tom Hayward, VicPD’s Hate Crime Coordinator.
“Our role is to police behaviours, not beliefs. The prolonged nature of this investigation is an indicator of the seriousness of this type of offence and the complex nature of proving Criminal Code offences related to hate propaganda.”
No further details were released.
