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.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe expressed outrage, saying the act does not represent Ottawa’s values and called the monument “a sacred place in the heart of our city.” Israel’s ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed, called it “pure hatred of Jews.” Prime Minister Mark Carney and several officials strongly condemned the act, calling it “vile” and “shocking.”
The Jewish community expressed deep dismay—not only over the attack on such a symbolic site but also that the perpetrator was a senior public servant. “Public officials should honor the memory of Holocaust victims, not desecrate it,” said Richard Marceau of the Centre for Jewish and Israeli Affairs. Community leader Lawrence Greenspon added, “If there’s hunger in Gaza, Hamas is to blame—not Israel.”
The monument, inaugurated in 2017 and designed by Jewish-American architect Daniel Libeskind, features six triangular structures forming a giant Star of David. Just a week after the vandalism, TimeOut magazine listed it among the 24 most beautiful buildings in the world.
A memorial gathering was held at the site a week after the attack, attended by hundreds, including Christian groups and elders from the Algonquin Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Nation. City officials confirmed that Aspinlieder is no longer employed and legal proceedings are ongoing.
Since Hamas’ October 2023 attack, Canada has seen a 670% rise in antisemitic incidents. Though Jews make up just 1.4% of the population, they are the target of 70% of religious hate crimes.