The Charlottetown Police Services is apologizing after a photo meant to show support for the PEI Pride Festival contained a symbol that has been linked to white supremacy.
City police apologized on social media late Wednesday for the “blunder,” adding that the officer involved has removed the patch from his uniform.
The patch in the photo for the LGBTQ festival displayed the Thin Blue Line symbol – a blue line across the Maple Leaf – which is considered a sign of police solidarity but has also been criticized as a symbol of white supremacy.
The post on Twitter by the police says, “We will do better.”
Officers across the country have been criticized for wearing similar patches, while police in Calgary earlier this year were instructed to remove the symbols from their uniforms.
Last month, the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo said it was ending a partnership with a group providing tickets to veterans following complaints that the group was using the Thin Blue Line image.
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