In Ottawa, the capital of Canada, city officials announced this week the dismissal of 46-year-old municipal attorney Ian Aspenlieder, who was charged with defacing the city's Holocaust memorial by spray-painting graffiti reading "Feed me."
The CBC reported that the Ottawa city council terminated Aspenlieder's employment. Stuart Huxley, the city's interim legal counsel, told Radio-Canada that Aspenlieder had been on vacation at the time of the incident and "is no longer employed by the city."
Ottawa Shocked: City Lawyer Vandalizes Holocaust Memorial
Ian Aspenlieder, 46, a senior Ottawa city lawyer, was arrested and fired for defacing the National Holocaust Memorial with "FEED ME" graffiti, linked to Gaza hunger crisis claims. Charged with mischief and harassment, he… pic.twitter.com/YhRS33iGMe
— ZIONS OF ISRAEL (@Israeli_Sniper) July 1, 2025
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said the developments were deeply troubling: "While I'm encouraged that the police investigation into the National Holocaust Monument incident is progressing, I'm very disturbed to learn that the individual charged was a city employee on leave," he said.
"As a community and as his employer, his actions at the monument do not reflect our values," Sutcliffe added. "I've asked city authorities to take all appropriate steps in light of these developments."
Aspenlieder, 46, has been charged with desecrating a war memorial, causing property damage exceeding $5,000, and engaging in threatening conduct.
