More than a hundred people rallied at the Five Corners intersection in Gibsons Saturday afternoon, after the town’s new rainbow crosswalks were vandalized.
Sometime overnight Friday the coloured stripes at the three crosswalks were covered in whitewash. People began posting photos of the damaged crosswalks to local social media sites early Saturday morning and within hours the Sunday in the Park With Pride Society was inviting people to go to the landing and “Paint the Town in Rainbows.”
By early afternoon more than 100 people were at the intersection waving rainbow flags, carrying signs and using chalk to restore some of the colour.
Town crews had also started work to remove the whitewash from the crosswalks with a pressure washer, a job that was completed by early evening.
"The rainbow crosswalk at 5 corners in Gibsons acknowledges diversity and acceptance of the LGBT members of our community. Vandalism of the crosswalk is an action against this community and an act of intolerance that we must respond to and fight against,” said mayor Bill Beamish in a statement to Coast Reporter. “The demonstration of support by community members and quick action by Town staff to remove the paint was commendable and greatly appreciated."
