Digital Journal — The National War Memorial in Ottawa got an unexpected birthday gift on Saturday. Three young men were photographed urinating on the memorial around 11 p.m. on July 1 after a fireworks display had ended.
Dr. Michael Pilon, a retired major with the Royal Canadian Dental Corps, snapped photos of one of the offenders with his pants down.
“I just happened to have my camera, and there they were,” he said. “Quite eager to pose, I may add. I guess that’s just one of the symptoms of having one beer too many.”
In response to the defacement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper called an Ottawa radio station and said it was “thoughtless,” but “it doesn’t represent the views of any segment of Canadian society. Only the drunk, full-bladdered segment.
Meanwhile, the incident has sparked outrage across the country and has prompted veterans to demand better security of the memorial. The site honours Canadians who have served in times of war and holds the remains of The Unknown Soldier, returned to Canada from France in 2000.
Ottawa police say they’ve launched an investigation into the matter, adding they could lay charges of mischief, being drunk in a public place and performing an indecent act in a public place.
