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 their staff with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last Friday.
Trudeau had lunch at their brewery on July 29, Lone Oak said in a Facebook post on Saturday.
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“We want to be clear that any Democratic elected official of any political stripe is welcome at Lone Oak and we’d love to have their picture taken with them,” the brewery said.
After posting the photo with Trudeau on Facebook, Lone Oak said it received a chain of negative and vulgar comments, private messages and phone calls directed at the business and its staff. The company posted a photo on Facebook of its van with a broken windshield on Saturday.
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“The hate is still out there and this time it went 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 featuring Trudeau, which it said reached more than 150,000 people, and removed a photo showing the prime minister “receiving comments sexualizing our staff,” the brewery said.
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Lone Oak’s ratings on Google and Facebook have also been attacked by people who have never visited the establishment, according to the brewery.
“Ratings dropped from a 4.8/5 to a 2.8/5 at their lowest point,” Lone Oak said, but have since returned to their previous level after speaking to the CBC last Friday about the situation.
After that coverage, Lone Oak said it also received many calls of support from the community.
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The business said staff were loving the positivity, but added that “the hate is still there and it has gone too far” following the alleged act of vandalism.
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“We want to let everyone know that we have been in contact with law enforcement and 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 delighted to have lunch, meet people from the community and support strong small businesses,” the statement said.
“It is completely unacceptable that owners and staff face threats and violence,” he added.
The PMO spokesperson said they were “glad everyone is safe”.
“It’s heartening to see the community continue to step up, condemn the despicable attacks and throw their full support behind the great team at Lone Oak, reflecting the true spirit of Islanders and all Canadians.”
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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