In a surprising twist, Ottawa authorities revealed that the man behind the shocking defacement of Canada’s National Holocaust Monument was none other than the city’s top lawyer.
Ian Aspinlieder, 46, was arrested, fired from his position, and now faces charges after spray-painting the words “FEED ME” in red—next to what appeared to be fake blood—on the memorial, located near the Canadian Parliament. The act is believed to reference the Gaza food crisis, which the UN recently described as the world’s worst.
Aspinlieder, who previously identified as non-binary and preferred the pronoun “they,” had served nearly a decade as Ottawa’s chief legal advisor and earned around $148,000 annually. He has also been suspended from the Ontario Bar Association.
Ottawa Police charged him with defacing a memorial, causing over $5,000 in damage, and issuing threats. He was arrested and awaits a court hearing this week.