Library rocked after man tried to remove anti-racism books

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Man tried to steal 20 books against racism and discrimination, calling store co-founder a racist for having them on the shelf

A downtown business is reeling after what appeared to be a targeted incident on Friday that saw a man attempt to steal a shelf of anti-racism books, calling the store owner a “racist bitch”.

The incident happened at The Bookshelf on Friday afternoon.

Bookshelf co-founder Barb Minett said she was working at reception when a man walked in, put down his bag and headed for the store.

She heard books falling on the floor and went to see what was happening.

“So I came over, and he was there, with all the books on the floor, and I said, ‘what are you doing?’ And he said, “I’m taking these books because they’re racist, and you can’t sell anti-racist books anymore,” Minett said.

Here’s a white man telling us we can’t sell anti-racism books, she said.

The section of books titled Race Relations and Discrimination has been around for years with no such incidents occurring.

These are really important books, she said. Minett called an employee to call the police and when she looked back, he had collected all the books.

As he headed for the door, Minett pulled him by one of his backpack straps to try and stop him. A staff member at Miijidaa, the restaurant with an open door to the bookstore, grabbed the other strap. Two other staff members came to help when they were outside Miijidaa’s front door.

The man was screaming as staff members tried to stop him. He repeatedly called Minett a racist, she said.

The man left and Minett was able to regain 20 pounds.

“I know we’re told not to interfere, but I just couldn’t let anyone… out of the store. Break up a section, threaten us like this, take 20 of our books, just because he thought we were racist,” Minett said.

The man knew where he was going because he went straight to the section from where the books had been taken.

“It was really disturbing. And we have to be aware of that, I guess,” she said. “I don’t know what the answers are, obviously, because it’s very complicated, but you don’t no longer be afraid.”

She couldn’t stop doing something, she had to stop it, Minett said.

The only other incident Minett could remember happened a few years ago when people said they would boycott The Bookshelf because they were carrying books by author Jordan Peterson.

“Censorship is a very, very slippery slope. And that’s a dangerous thing to do,” Minett said.

Police came after Friday’s incident, Minett said, adding she hopes he doesn’t return to the store.

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