Man charged for allegedly vandalizing B.C. rainbow crosswalk for second time

SURREY — Police say one of the two men charged for allegedly vandalizing a Metro Vancouver rainbow crosswalk in May has been charged again for defacing of the same location.

Police in Surrey say in a statement that 67-year-old Errol Povah is now facing a second count of mischief over $5,000 after the crosswalk at Holland Park was vandalized on June 27.

The crosswalk was initially sprayed with black paint during a protest on May 30, where a video and photos shared by protesters showed two people marking the rainbow walkway.

Povah and 58-year-old Amrit Birring — leader of the Freedom Party of B.C. — were each charged with one count of mischief over $5,000 in the May case, and police say Birring turned himself in and was released with conditions.

Povah was not arrested until July 3, when the second count of mischief was approved against him for the vandalism in June at the crosswalk.

Police say Povah has also been released with conditions after his arrest.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2026.

The Canadian Press