Construction worker hangs Mexican flag on Vancouver's Trump Tower

A Mexican-Canadian construction worker who hung Mexico's flag on Vancouver's Trump Tower on Saturday said he did it in response to Donald Trump's comments about Mexicans.

"I put a Mexican flag on the roof of the Trump Tower in Vancouver, just to show that he is benefiting from us and that we are working hard on his projects and that we are not all criminals," Diego Saul Reyna said in an interview with the CBC.

In a post on Facebook that has more than 2,000 shares, Reyna wrote:

"From the concrete pouring, finishing, drywall, taping, wood forming and general labour, Mexicans were there, building it, doing good work."

"Mr. Trump, we did our best work, your tower here in Vancouver is premium quality, and we were a crucial part of it, not just Mexicans but immigrants as a whole, like your ancestors were."

The construction worker's stunt and comments were made in direct response to Trump's July 2015 speech in which he called Mexican immigrants criminals, drug dealers and rapists.

Trump's comments, while widely criticized, also sparked a rise in polls showing his popularity among Republicans who want to see stronger immigration policies. This was something Reyna also addressed in his Facebook post:

"The insults you have said about us have not changed our work ethics. While working on your tower, Mexicans didn't steal anything nor raped anyone. We just did the best work we could possibly do, for my ourselves, our families and the future tenants in your building."

The Vancouver building is no stranger to controversy.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson urged developers to drop the Trump name from the building last December over Trump's "hateful positions." 

The developer issued a statement that said it "is not in any way involved in U.S. politics" and said it would continue "remain focused on the construction of what will soon be the finest luxury property in Vancouver and beyond."

The building is expected to open later this summer.

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Editors' note: The construction worker's post was lightly edited for punctuation.