‘Very disrespectful’ person arrested at cenotaph during D-Day event

A person who acted in a “very disrespectful” manner during Thursday’s ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day in downtown Barrie has been arrested and charged.

On June 6, around 9:30 a.m., community members, veterans and military personnel gathered around the cenotaph in Memorial Square for the parade and ceremony.

Police say a person stopped directly in front of the cenotaph and, using chalk, drew a large circle and placed a message around it.

Although police did not say specifically what the message was, communications coordinator Peter Leon described it as “self-serving.”

“The individual then began yelling at people in the immediate area and as a result Barrie Police, who were on scene assisting and preparing to attend the upcoming ceremony, intervened and arrested the 49-year-old man for breach of the peace. “, the police said in a press release on Friday.

Police say officers removed the individual from the area and they were transported to Barrie Police Headquarters for further investigation.

The area where the chalked message was drawn was immediately cleaned up by City of Barrie staff, according to police, and the parade and ceremony took place without delay.

“This person’s actions were considered by many to be very disrespectful given what the day and the pending ceremony represented,” the police statement said.

As a result of the investigation and considering that the damage was done to the structure or part of it, which serves primarily as a monument to honor people who were killed or died as a result of the war, the police say that the person was charged with mischief in relation to a war memorial and causing a disturbance by shouting.

They were held for a bail hearing and later released to appear in Barrie court on June 10.