Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim says his home was defaced with “hateful” graffiti on Halloween night.

Sim said in a statement that he cannot fully express the pain of seeing the words splashed across his home and that it feels heartbreaking that vandalism took a place where his family felt safe.

Photos shared by the city hall show large spray-painted messages in English that say “Ken Sim hates poor people” and “we hate Sim town”, while messages in Chinese use insults and make apparent threats. One message roughly translates to “cover the family with a shovel,” according to Sim.

In his statement, Sim said his family has faced several hate-fueled attacks this year, including a bomb threat placed under Sim’s vehicle and a protest by dozens of people who surrounded his home.

He said such hateful acts happen too often, and not just to him and his family, but to others in the city.

The attacks on his family crossed a line no one should ever have to face, Sim said.

“But we are stronger than hate. My family, like so many others, will not let these actions define us,” Sim said in his statement.

A spokesperson for the Vancouver Police Department said they are investigating the graffiti as a case of mischief.

“Our Major Crimes Unit is investigating this case as we would any other mischief reported to us,” Const. Tania Visintin stated in a statement.