Photo credit: globalnews.ca
The election of Sean Orr as a councillor for COPE in Vancouver has stirred considerable debate at city hall, primarily due to his past statements on social media regarding law enforcement. Orr has dismissed claims that his comments were meant to incite violence against the police.
His historical posts included phrases such as, “All Pigs Must Die,” “Cops aren’t people,” and “The VPD are murderers.” In July 2024, he also shared an animated image of a pig dressed in a police uniform.
Following these revelations, ABC Vancouver Coun. Brian Montague, a retired officer with the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), expressed his concern, stating, “His past comments are disgusting. This fuels anti-police sentiment and attitudes and just increases the amount of rhetoric out there.”
The Vancouver Police Union (VPU) has also raised alarms over Orr’s previous comments, particularly in light of recent attacks on police officers in the city. VPU acting president, Sgt. James Hubert, highlighted the severity of the situation by referencing an incident where a police officer was set on fire, stressing that a newly-elected councillor promoting violence against law enforcement is particularly troubling.
When confronted about the VPU’s accusations, Orr maintained that his past remarks were made while he was a private citizen and expressed his intention to approach his new role as councillor differently. He stated, “I mean yes, there (were) some remarks when I was a private citizen but now that I’m a councillor things are going to be different.” Orr further emphasized that he found the notion that he incited violence to be “absurd.”
In explaining one of the controversial phrases, “All Pigs Must Die,” Orr noted that it was the name of a band and clarified that a January 2021 post referencing it was a response to music publicist Eric Alper. Regarding his use of the hashtag #acab, which stands for “All cops are bastards,” Orr suggested that it embodies a critique of systemic issues within policing rather than an attack on individual officers.
Montague countered Orr’s perspective, arguing that such comments do not contribute positively to public discourse, stating, “I want to remind him that police officers are sons and daughters, they’re spouses, they’re mothers and fathers.”
Orr has expressed his belief that it is possible to support the police while advocating for budgetary changes. He described the concept of “defunding” the VPD, worth approximately $423.9 million in 2025, as an opportunity to reallocate resources towards community support rather than dismantling the police entirely. “Absolutely, I’m willing to work with the VPD,” he asserted, highlighting that his goal is to reevaluate funding to enhance community services.
Montague responded by urging Orr to consider the importance of investing in public safety and the benefit it brings to the community, stating, “The men and women who put on a uniform every day and do a job that most don’t have the integrity or courage to do deserve so much better.”
Source
globalnews.ca