Controversial Campaign Image Removed Following Criticism
A municipal awareness poster has been removed from circulation in Gatineau after community members raised concerns about its potential reinforcement of harmful racial stereotypes. The visual campaign, designed to address workplace incivility toward city staff, featured multiple posters depicting confrontational interactions.
Imagery Sparks Immediate Backlash
The withdrawn poster uniquely showed a Black woman wearing a reptilian mask appearing to threaten a white male city employee. This stood in contrast to other campaign materials that exclusively featured white individuals as both aggressors and employees. The French caption read: “With our employees, there’s no reason to be rude. In Gatineau, we respect each other.”
Papa Ladjiké Diouf, a mental health professional, first noticed the poster during a library visit with his young son. “He spontaneously asked why they depicted a Black woman in a dinosaur mask attacking a white man,” Diouf recounted. “This imagery perpetuates generational stereotypes about Black people being violent and Black women being uncontrollably aggressive.”
Community Leaders Voice Concerns
Multiple advocacy groups echoed these criticisms. César Ndema-Moussa of Roots and Culture Canada and Charles Makaza from the Black Community Council of Gatineau both emphasized how the visual disproportionately racialized aggression while presenting municipal staff exclusively as white.
Municipal Response and Campaign Context
The awareness campaign launched in September through a partnership between the city and transit services, responding to increased reports of harassment toward municipal workers. While defending the campaign’s intent, officials decided to withdraw the controversial poster following the criticism.
“The design was never intended to convey discriminatory messaging,” city representatives stated in an official communication. “However, we recognize its potential for misinterpretation. In alignment with our values of inclusion and respect, we’ve opted for immediate removal to prevent negative interpretations.”
Municipal authorities confirmed the poster has been permanently removed from all physical and digital platforms while other campaign materials remain in circulation.
