Security guard thanks community after suffering racial, verbal abuse

A Kelowna security guard who suffered verbal and racial abuse while performing his job wants to thank the community for their outpouring of support.

Anmol Singh, a 23-year-old South Asian immigrant, has lived in Kelowna for four years and tells Castanet he is very grateful for the outpouring of support after his story went viral earlier this week.

"Thanks, everyone for supporting me, it makes me feel good," Singh says.

Singh tells Castanet that he was trying to help InfoNews reporter Carli Berry, who was covering anti-vaccine protests outside Trinity Church. One of the loudest and longstanding members of that protest group, Bruce Orydzuk, has been all over the Okanagan harassing healthcare workers, journalists and attempting to spread his version of the truth.

"You're not a Canadian, you are disgusting. Go back to your country," Orydzuk shouted at Singh several times when he asked him to move along, in a video that has now sparked condemnation from across the province.

Singh says Orydzuk was yelling at people outside outside the clinic that the vaccine was an "experimental toxin" on their way in and out of the building.

Singh says he tried to keep the peace when the InfoNews reporter showed up and started asking questions.

"The reporter came to the site and she wanted a comment on the protest and this guy was trying to harass her and I stepped in to help, and she took the video and you can see what really happened," Singh said.

Singh says it was stressful and he credits his employer, Paladin Security, for training him to de-escalate situations. But it was a different story when he was finished work.

"It was hard but I have to be professional. When I went home, I can hear those words again and again. Go back to India. I felt like I wasn't welcome," Singh says.

But he started to feel better after getting phone calls and messages of support from the community, including a personal phone call from Premier John Horgan.

Singh says the phone call was special, "he said he had my back."

He said he hopes he never runs into Orydzuk again, "I don't want to see him again that would be the best thing."

The Kelowna RCMP have said they are investigating the incident.

This is vile, racist behaviour. If this is how you treat people, you are the problem.

Racism is a scourge and we must stand together against it to build a better province. https://t.co/9vySVQH0aG

— John Horgan (@jjhorgan) July 15, 2021