9:45 p.m. update
Mayor Matthew Shoemaker posted the following statement to his Facebook page tonight in response to the original SooToday story:
"The leadership of The City of Sault Ste. Marie stands with the LGBTQI+ community and against hatred and division," said Shoemaker. "Every resident has a right to feel safe and we’ll ensure this is fixed as soon as possible."
Original story
Sault Police are on scene at the Pride crosswalk, which was defaced sometime Tuesday after a weekend of protests at the downtown intersection.
On June 20, the Pride crosswalk was freshly painted a few streets west from the previous East Street at Bay Street location where it had been for years.
The rainbow stripes had barely dried at its new location on Spring Street at Bay Street when protests were held on Saturday and Monday by a small group of people holding signs with proclaiming "Pride Goeth Before Destruction" and "God is Not the Author of Confusion."
Officers with the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service were seen at the intersection on Tuesday at about 8:30 p.m., after spray paint had been scribbled across the painted crosswalk.
About 12 people protested at the crosswalk on Monday, with about 30 people staging a counter protest across the street in support of Sault Pride.
SooToday will have more on this story as information becomes available.