Send this page to someone via email

Six Liberal campaign signs in Kelowna have been defaced with blackface.

The signs for Liberal incumbent candidate Stephen Fuhr were defaced by someone who drew over Fuhr’s face with a black marker.

Fuhr’s campaign confirmed six signs were targeted.

Liberal candidate for Kelowna-Lake Country Stephen Fuhr reacts to his election signs being vandalized & his face painted black. The vandalism comes a day after images of a younger Justin Trudeau surfaced from high school & costume parties of his face painted dark. @GlobalOkanagan pic.twitter.com/WbZITgpohz — Klaudia Van Emmerik (@KlaudiaGlobal) September 19, 2019

Story continues below advertisement

“I thought it was unfortunate and sad, actually,” Fuhr told Global News.

“I know that’s a very direct answer, but there’s no other way that I can express that.”

Fuhr added “it’s certainly not going to help my campaign, but I’ve done the best I can to deliver for this community. And I’m hoping people will evaluate that and will continue to support me because I’ve supported them so well over the past four years.”

The incidents come a day after a photo emerged of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau in brownface at an Arabian Nights party in Vancouver in 2001.

Another photo of Trudeau in dark makeup at a high school talent show has since emerged, which the Liberal campaign confirmed was of the Liberal leader.

WATCH BELOW: Federal Election 2019: Can Trudeau campaign survive racist makeup controversy?

3:47 Federal Election 2019: Can Trudeau campaign survive racist makeup controversy? Federal Election 2019: Can Trudeau campaign survive racist makeup controversy?

On Thursday, Global News obtained video of a third incident of Trudeau in racist makeup, believed to have been filmed in the 1990s.

Story continues below advertisement

Trudeau has apologized for the photos and video, saying that at the time, he didn’t think his actions were racist. Now, he said, he recognizes wearing brownface is racist and regrets his actions.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he said Wednesday. “I should have known better but I didn’t and I’m really sorry.”

Meanwhile, a Kelowna city councilor says the political storm surrounding the brownface and blackface incidents is an attempt to discredit Trudeau.

WATCH BELOW (Aired Feb. 11, 2019): Almost one-third of Americans think it’s acceptable to wear blackface for Halloween

1:24 Almost one-third of Americans think it’s acceptable to wear blackface for Halloween Almost one-third of Americans think it’s acceptable to wear blackface for Halloween

“Twenty years ago, social acceptance was different, jokes were different, people were not as politically sensitive about issues as we are now,” Mohini Singh told Global News on Thursday.

Story continues below advertisement

“What happened 20 years ago is not acceptable today, but the prime minister meant no harm. It was a costume he was dressed up in, and the norms of 20 years ago don’t apply today.”

Singh called Trudeau “the most inclusive, accepting, welcoming prime minister I have known in my 30 years in Canada.”

“This is just derailing a political election that should be based on fact and issues, and not what somebody did when he was 20,” she added.