WARNING: The content of this article includes distressing information and images of violence against elected officials.
Officials in a southern Manitoba municipality are alarmed by a disturbing scene that has emerged on a property, depicting local politicians hanging from a makeshift gallows.
The council of the Rural Municipality of Taché convened for a meeting on Saturday to address the installation found in a yard on Municipal Road 41E in the community of Ste-Geneviève, within the municipality.
The display features five life-sized figures suspended from what appears to be a homemade gallows, alongside other unsettling elements.
Four of the figures are marked with municipal ward numbers, including wards two, four, five, and six. Another figure at the center wears a crown and a dollar-sign necklace, with the word “karma” written in neon green on all five figures.
Above the hanging figures, the phrase “politics all trick no treats” is displayed. Additionally, one figure represents a firefighter wearing a “For Sale” sign around their neck and a dollar-sign necklace.
Mayor Armand Poirier of the Rural Municipality of Taché informed CBC News on Saturday that the RCMP is investigating the exhibit, with the council planning to provide further details on Monday.
Various signs with different messages are also part of the display.
The homeowner, when approached by CBC, declined an interview. Steinbach RCMP confirmed receiving two complaints about the exhibit and have initiated an investigation.
In a video posted on YouTube on Saturday, the homeowner converses with two RCMP officers in front of his property as they address the exhibit. The officers requested him to modify or remove the identifiers. The homeowner described it as a “limited display” for Halloween, emphasizing his peaceful stance despite grievances with municipal charges.
He explained that a fire on his property led to a substantial bill from the municipality for deploying a volunteer fire truck and crew, an appeal that was unsuccessful.
In another video the same day, he clarified to a journalist, “I’m not advocating violence. It’s a theatrical statement,” noting the exhibit was created to attract attention and asserting the absence of weapons.
Ivan Normandeau, reeve of the rural municipality of La Broquerie and president of the Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (AMBM), expressed deep concerns about the exhibit’s impact on officials.
Normandeau stated, “As an elected official, it’s very concerning to see when people are intimidating or going after you personally, and it was so visible in somebody’s yard.”
He added, “Usually we get emails or phone calls, but never something that graphic.”
Normandeau highlighted the rise in threats towards rural Manitoba officials over recent years, citing the detrimental effects of social media misinformation and its potential harm.
He emphasized the collaborative efforts of AMBM and the Association of Manitoba Municipalities to enhance safety and