A former City of Ottawa lawyer has pleaded guilty to a charge of mischief to a war memorial in connection with vandalism to the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa.
The words “feed me” were painted on the side of the memorial west of downtown Ottawa on June 9. The paint was quickly removed, but the act prompted widespread condemnation from residents, Jewish groups, and political leaders.
Ottawa police charged Iain Aspenlieder on June 27 with mischief to a war memorial, mischief exceeding $5,000, and harassment by threatening conduct. The remaining two charges are being withdrawn.
The Crown is consenting to his release on bail pending his sentence. A hearing is scheduled for Sept. 3.
According to an agreed statement of facts, surveillance footage provided by the National Capital Commission captured Aspenlieder arriving at the monument on a bicycle at 2:59 a.m. June 9. He was captured carrying red bags, throwing paint on the monument and painting the words “feed me” with a paintbrush on the monument. He left the area at 3:08 a.m.
“There is an undeniable humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza. As Prime Minister Mark Carney stated, Israel’s handling of humanitarian aid in Gaza constitutes ‘a violation of international law.’ People are starving. Children are dying,” said Aspenlieder’s lawyer, Michael Spratt, in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.
“Mr. Aspenlieder has accepted responsibility for his actions. When he is sentenced later this year, the court will hear that his conduct, while unlawful, was driven by a profound sense of compassion and moral urgency—not by hatred or prejudice. He looks forward to demonstrating that his motivation was rooted in a desire to call attention to human suffering, not to cause harm or spread intolerance.”
Police did not initially release Aspenlieder’s name in a news release announcing his arrest, but he was identified in court documents. According to the Ontario Salary Disclosure list, Aspenlieder was a “Legal Counsel” with the City of Ottawa.
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said in late June that Aspenlieder had been fired.
“The city’s legal department has confirmed that the individual charged, who was on leave at the time of the incident, is no longer employed by the City of Ottawa,” Sutcliffe said on social media.
According to the Law Society of Ontario, Aspenlieder is currently suspended administratively, meaning he is not permitted to practise law and/or provide legal services.
The National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa commemorates the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust, and the millions of other victims of Nazi Germany and its collaborators.
The monument was inaugurated by former prime minister Justin Trudeau in September 2017.
Lawrence Greenspon, an Ottawa lawyer who is also co-chair of the National Holocaust Committee, commended police and the Crown for the outcome.
“We are very thankful for the way in which the police did their investigation and then a very, very serious prosecution was undertaken, and it’s resulted in a plea of guilty and in a relatively short period of time,” Greenspon said.
With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Joshua Marano
