'AHS Nazis:' Graffiti sprayed outside Edmonton office Entrance

Vandals have targeted Alberta Health Services twice in the last week with red paint spelling out "AHS Nazis." The words were inked into the pavement outside the entrance to the Plaza 124 building at the corner of 124th Street and 102nd Ave. Nearby (and also written in red) were the words "No more lockdowns."

In an interview with CBC, an AHS spokesperson called the graffiti "disturbing," noting that "workers found it both upsetting and threatening."

"This type of language and vandalism of any kind is completely unacceptable and after a year of hard work from all of our AHS staff to fight the pandemic, it's demoralizing to see this kind of action taken," they said.

AHS will report the incident to Edmonton police.

This isn't the first incident against AHS. In La Crete, a small hamlet in northwestern Alberta community of La Crete, four vehicles used by AHS employees were pelted with eggs Thursday while attempting to upgrade rural health services.

The United Conservative Party MLA for the area, Dan Williams, posted on Facebook to express his disappointment with the incident.

"I know La Crete to be a hospitable and welcoming place, and I would expect that the community of La Crete would extend that same hospitality to visitors with courtesy and warmth, no matter the purpose and no matter who they work for," he wrote on Thursday.

Some argue that increasing mistrust with the AHS boiled over after the closing of the GraceLife Church building in Parkland County, which was shuttered for having repeatedly violated public health orders .

Although supportive of the AHS, MLA Williams did not express the same sympathy after this incident.

"It is a different line to cross to barricade a church," Williams said . "We need to take a stand."