'We'll raise it every day if we have to': Twice vandalized, Pride flag rises again in small Alberta town

Police in a southern Alberta community are treating the vandalism of a Pride flag as an act of arson as the town held a ceremony to raise a replacement flag on Monday.

Taber hoisted the symbol of LGBT rights for the first time this year and it has not gone well. Six days after it was raised on June 12, vandals covered security cameras in Confederation Park, shredded the flag and tied the pieces to tree branches.

The Town of Taber said it took steps to prevent further vandalism by greasing the pole so that no one could remove the flag a second time.

However, on the morning of June 24, Taberpolice say someone applied an accelerantto the pole and lit it on fire.

• 'They've definitely got a lot of hate going on': Pride flag destroyed in Alberta town for 2nd time in 2 weeks

"Once lit, the pole acted as a wick and caught the flag on fire, a portion of the flag melted and fell to the ground," saidTaberpolice in a news release.

Lethbridge, about 50 kilometres to the west of Taber, also saw vandals strike its symbols ofPride. Crosswalks painted in the colours of the transgender flag and the Pride flag were defaced in that city the rainbow crosswalk twice.

• Black paint strewn across Lethbridge Pride crosswalk
• 'A direct attack': Pride crosswalks in Lethbridge left with tire marks days before festivities

Members of Lethbridge Pride donated one of their flags to theTaber Equality Alliance Society and it was raised on Monday night.

'It hurts'

Jane Deering, a Taber resident of 18 years and the mother of two transindividuals, was at the flag ceremony and said not only is there support, but there's new support from people she hasn't seen at an event like this.

"Discouraging to think somebody would do something like that, but encouraging to see the support that's coming out," she said of the week's events.

She's was defiant that those who struck at the symbols would not win out, vowing to be there every day to raise a new flag if need be.

"As soon as my children came out, I'm fighting for them and standing up for the others, too," she said."It hurts. You hurt my children, you hurt me."

That sense of community, and of defiance, was echoed by Jayce Wilson, a transwoman who moved to Taber from Calgary about 12 years ago.

"I felt an awful lot of love and support and unity and community. They were here because they wanted to be here. They were here because they wanted to support us and show that they cared and that they want to see the Pride flag go up again," she said.

"We'll raise it every day if we have to."

'Actions of a few'

The Town of Taberissued a statement saying"actions of a few people does not represent the community ofTaberas a whole" and promised the flag will continue to fly until June 30.

The chief of police echoed the town's sentiments.

"This act of arson is a public safety concern, and is not taken lightly bytheTaber police," saidChiefGrahamAbelain a news release."This type of activity is not in keeping with the values of the community and we denounce this crime."