It began with a large spray-painted Nazi Hakenkreuz (sanskrit- svastika) that he spotted while driving to a job.
Corey Fleischer operates a power-washing graffiti removal service in Montreal, but the image bothered him all day.
Later he drove back to the site, and power-washed it off. But it was a much different feeling having removed the hateful symbol, than from the work of removing other graffiti. The next time he saw one, painted on another wall, he stopped and blasted that off, and so it began.
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Corey began noting where he saw hateful words, whether against gays, races or religions. Then after work on his own time and money, he would take his truck go to the spot and clean the message or symbols off..
Soon he began doing more and more. He says these graffiti, whether hakenkreuz, or the “N” word, or messages to kill someone or that someone should “get out” or “go home” anything like that, it all made him uncomfortable. He says it make others uncomfortable as well and creates a bad atmosphere within society.
Whereas most people walk by such graffiti, he says that he was in a unique position to do something. “I have the equipment and the expertise to make a difference” he says.
In Montreal there are a lot of alleyways between streets, excellent grounds for those armed with spray cans whether they consider themselves artists, or have a grudge or hate to display. In this city, if someone spray paints the wall of your business, home, place of worship, car, whatever, the owner is responsible to pay to have it removed. An unsightly “tag” is one thing, call Corey he’ll come and remove it and thanks for the business. But when it comes to hateful messages, call Corey and he does it for free and be glad to do it. He says people shouldn’t be victimized financially or otherwise by hate.
As he quietly went around in his off hours removing hateful messages, the word began to spread and soon he was getting calls from people telling him where hate had been painted, and calls from victims of the spray painting.
It’s been keeping him busy. In fact as word gets around, more and more people are requesting his services to remove hateful messages and images.
It’s actually starting to take up most of his time to the detriment of his paying business. Still he’s starting to get a little support, some moral, some with a little financial boost, in a way.
A local restaurant has named one of its burgers in his honour, and a clothing company Kuwalla, said it will supply him with any clothes he needs.
Corey says the effort has become much more now, it’s a mission he’d like to take across Canada, and even around the world.
He says it’s a start in the effort to eliminate hate.
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