NICTAUX, N.S. — Nova Scotia RCMP say an officer has removed a controversial thin blue line badge from his uniform after a photo circulated online of him wearing the symbol in a photo taken during a so-called Freedom Fighters gathering.
The RCMP say the officer responded with a colleague to a noise complaint Saturday night at a Freedom Fighter event in the town of Nictaux, N.S., in Annapolis County.
Police say one officer used his own money to pay the entry fee and agreed to take a photograph with the group in order to "mitigate an escalation of the situation" because the officers were told they weren't welcome at the event.
The photo shows one of the officers wearing a thin blue line patch on his chest, which police say is contrary to RCMP policy.
The thin blue line symbol depicts a blue line across a black and grey Maple Leaf. While some consider the image a sign of police solidarity, it has also been criticized as a symbol of white supremacy.
Freedom Fighters Nova Scotia Chapter is part of a larger national group composed of veterans and civilians who say they defend Canadians' "freedoms."
In a statement Tuesday, the group said there was no dispute, risk of violence or heated conversation between Freedom Fighters members or any attendees. RCMP officers were amicable, polite and jovial at times, it said.
"Jokingly, a Freedom Fighters veteran and guardian member made a reference to the event being by donation and suggested the officers contribute to the fundraiser," the group said.
"Without hesitation, one of the officers withdrew a ten-dollar bill and provided it to the member for donation, at which time the member asked if he could take a picture with the officers. On leaving the event site, the officers were extended an invitation to return once their shift was over, should they wish to participate in the fundraising event."
Officers across the country have been criticized for wearing thin blue line patches. In July, the Charlottetown Police Services publicly apologized after an image surfaced online of one of its members wearing the symbol.
In June, the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo said it was ending a partnership with a group providing tickets to veterans, following complaints that the group was using the symbol.
Nova Scotia RCMP say the photo from Saturday's noise complaint call was circulating online "without the accurate context of the situation." The force emphasized in its release that it is not affiliated with the Freedom Fighters group.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2022.
The Canadian Press
