A craft brewery in Gateway Village, PEI, says its delivery van was vandalized Saturday, the latest act of “hate,” they say, after the business posted a photo of its staff with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last friday
Trudeau had lunch at his brewpub on July 29, Lone Oak said in a Facebook post Saturday.
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“We want to be clear that any elected official in a democratic country, representing any political stripe, is welcome at Lone Oak and would be more than happy to take a picture with them,” the brewery said.
After posting the photo with Trudeau on Facebook, Lone Oak said it received a string of negative and vulgar comments, private messages and phone calls directed at the business and its staff. The company posted a photo on Facebook on Saturday of its van with a broken windshield.
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“The hate is still there and this time it’s gone too far,” the company said in its Facebook post. “Our delivery driver found our Lone Oak van vandalized this morning as shown in the photo attached to this post.”
They said they have contacted law enforcement and are taking the necessary steps to protect their staff.
Lone Oaks also edited its Facebook post with Trudeau that they say reached more than 150,000 people and removed the photo showing the prime minister “was receiving comments sexualizing our staff,” the brewery said.
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Lone Oak’s Google and Facebook ratings were also attacked by people who had never visited the establishment, according to the brewery.
“Ratings dropped from 4.8/5 to 2.8/5 at their lowest point,” Lone Oak said, but have since returned to their previous level after speaking to CBC last Friday about the situation .
Following that coverage, Lone Oak said it also received many calls of support from the community.
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The company said staff love the positivity, but added that “the hate is still there and it’s gone too far” after the alleged vandalism.
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“We want to let everyone know that law enforcement has been contacted and that we are taking the necessary steps to keep our staff safe,” Lone Oak said.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) sent a statement to Global News Sunday condemning the hate Lone Oak has been receiving.
“The Prime Minister was happy to have lunch, meet with people in the community and support a strong small business,” the statement said.
“It is completely unacceptable that the owners and staff have faced threats and violence,” he added.
The PMO spokesman said they are “glad everyone is safe”.
“It’s heartening to see the community continue to step up, condemn the despicable attacks and give their full support to the great team at Lone Oak, reflecting the true spirit of Islanders and all Canadians.”
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