‘Indian Rats’ graffiti in Canada sparks racist outrage, advocacy groups demand action

A racist slur spray-painted near a children’s park in Mississauga has triggered outrage among immigrant communities and advocacy groups, with calls for law enforcement to recognise it as a hate crime. The graffiti, which read “Indian Rats,” was first spotted by an Indian immigrant and later shared on Reddit, sparking widespread debate about racism and bias in Canada.

The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) condemned the incident, urging Peel Police to investigate it as a “hate-motivated crime.”

“We are deeply disturbed by the hateful graffiti discovered next to a children’s park in Mississauga… This is not an isolated incident; it is part of a growing pattern of racism, intimidation, and Hinduphobia faced by Indo-Canadians and Hindus across the country,” the group wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

CoHNA, which describes itself as a grassroots advocacy group, also demanded stronger anti-hate mechanisms at all levels of government and called for Hinduphobia to be formally recognised as a “specific form of hate” requiring urgent attention alongside other forms of racism.

The Reddit user, who discovered the graffiti shared their dismay in a post that quickly gained traction online.

“The Canada I chose to immigrate to had a reputation of being a country of the nicest people on God’s green earth. But in my three years of being here, I have had so many incidents of racism that I have lost count,” the post read. “At first I ignored all these incidents as innocent mistakes… but now this? This is right next to a children’s park. What did I even do to not deserve a respectful life here?”

The post detailed repeated experiences of bias: being profiled as a delivery worker in restaurants, stopped for “random checks” at Walmart and grocery stores, and frequently mistaken for store staff despite not wearing uniforms.

“I’ve paid thousands of dollars in taxes and expenses during my time in Canada and continue to contribute to society — yet basic social decency seems like an impossible ask,” the immigrant wrote.

The graffiti has sparked wider conversations online about everyday racism faced by South Asian immigrants in Canada, with many urging law enforcement to respond more decisively to what they see as a growing problem.