(UPDATE: June 5 @ 12:35 pm): Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appeared at an anti−racism protest in Ottawa.
It’s one of multiple events in Canada today, following days of demonstrations against racism and police brutality in numerous cities around the world.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and several members of his cabinet have arrived at the protests.
There are chants of ‘Stand Up to Trump’ and ‘Black Lives Matter’ as they listen to a speaker. pic.twitter.com/VyDwkiBWJG— Charlie Pinkerton (@CharliePinkerto) June 5, 2020
Trudeau ignored a reporter on Friday morning who asked him whether he would attend, but arrived on Parliament Hill in mid−afternoon with security guards, wearing a black cloth mask.
Some members of the crowd angrily chanted at him to "stand up to Trump."
PM @JustinTrudeau takes a knee at an anti-racism rally on Parliament Hill pic.twitter.com/8hezGWFZX1
— Power & Politics (@PnPCBC) June 5, 2020
He was seen standing close to dozens of people in the crowd, which has already provoked outrage from some on social media because of his repeated statements about the importance of social distancing during the COVID-19 crisis.
The prime minister was also filmed getting down on one knee, a gesture which has become associated with protestors in the aftermath of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis.
Floyd, who was black, was filmed being arrested by an officer who pressed a knee into his neck for nearly 10 minutes, causing his death.
Trudeau clapped and nodded in response to many of the things said by speakers at the front of the crowd, including one who said there is no middle ground on the issue.
“You are either a racist or an anti-racist,” the speaker said.
He gave a similar response when the crowd starting chanting: “Black lives matter.”
In Toronto, as officers generally kept a low profile, more than 1,000 people walked peacefully in blazing sunshine chanting, “I can’t breathe,” “No justice, no peace,” or “Hands up, don’t shoot.” Others held signs reading “Racism is a pandemic, too” or “Silence is violence.”
“We’re fed up. We need change and we do not trust police,” said one protester, John Coleman. “Black lives really matter.”
Earlier Friday, Trudeau called videos and reports from across the country in recent weeks “disturbing.” Those include an encounter between an Indigenous man and the RCMP in Nunavut.
While each case needed to be investigated, Trudeau said the larger issue of systemic racism in policing was long-standing and needed addressing.
“Far too many Canadians feel fear and anxiety at the sight of law enforcement officers,” Trudeau said. “Over the past weeks, we’ve seen a large number of Canadians suddenly awaken to the fact that the discrimination that is a lived reality for far too many of our fellow citizens is something that needs to end.”
Change, he said, needed to start immediately but would not happen overnight.
In Ottawa, demonstrators planned to march from Parliament Hill through Ottawa’s streets in an event organized by No Peace Until Justice, formed by a young black woman. The goal was to bring together black activists and organizations and allies to stand in solidarity against police brutality and societal racism.
Organizers asked police to stay away and said they had not invited Mayor Jim Watson, who had said he would attend. The group also said it opposed all live-streaming and video or photos to protect the identity and safety of those attending.
For their part, Ottawa police said public safety was a shared responsibility.
“You have a right to be heard,” the police service said on Thursday. “We will support that right by ensuring your safety.”
(Original story: June 5 @ 5:40 am): Demonstrators plan to march from Parliament Hill through Ottawa streets in mid-afternoon today to honour black lives lost at the hands of police.
A similarly themed Toronto march is slated to proceed south in the early afternoon from the Bloor-Yonge subway station, circling back north to city hall.
The demonstrations follow days of protests across the United States after a video showed Minneapolis police killing a black man, George Floyd, unleashing a torrent of anger over racism in the country.
A police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes while he pleaded that he couldn’t breathe.
The Ottawa event is being organized by No Peace Until Justice, formed by a young black woman.
The group says its goal is to bring together black activists and organizations and allies to stand in solidarity against police brutality and racism.
The event has touched off some online controversy about who is welcome to attend.
The Ottawa police were not invited at the request of the No Peace Until Justice organizers.
After Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson noted his intention to be there, the group said he was invited via Twitter by unaffiliated individuals.
“The No Peace Until Justice organizers did not reach out to him or his office.”
The group says it opposes all streaming and the taking of videos or photos of the demonstration to protect the identity and safety of those attending.
For their part, the Ottawa police say public safety is a shared responsibility.
“We are working with organizers and all stakeholders to enable a safe, healthy and positive event,” the police service said Thursday.
“You have a right to be heard. And we will support that right by ensuring your safety.”
Participants must recognize the COVID-19 pandemic is not over and police are working with organizers and Ottawa public-health officials to make personal protective equipment available to demonstrators, the force added.
