OPINION: HEAL OR DIVIDE?
Will the verdict Tuesday in the death of Abdirahman Abdi heal wounds or divide us? Farhia Ahmed reflects
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020, Ottawa will receive the verdict in the criminal trial of Const. Daniel Montsion, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) officer charged with manslaughter, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon in the death of Abdirahman Abdi.
Given the worldwide pandemic, the verdict will be read publicly via Zoom by Justice Robert Kelly. In a bizarre way, this method of delivery is welcome, as it will allow the world to witness what has been one the most carefully watched criminal trials in Canada's recent history.
The verdict is now more than four years in the making. Once it is delivered, it will cease to be a thing of the future but part of our living reality. In a post- George Floyd world, this verdict, whichever way it lands, determines a fate that many feel deeply connected to.
I first wrote about my connection to this story three years ago to mark the one-year anniversary of Abdirahman's death. I never knew Abdirahman, but for the last four years, I have served as the chair of the Justice for Abdirahman Coalition, an extremely dedicated team of professionals formed within days of Abdirahman's death. Since forming, we have dedicated our time to rebuilding community ties, instilling hope, and pushing for policy and legislative reforms.
It has been a challenging roller-coaster ride of emotions during these four years of advocacy. Four years of feelings, built one on top of the other, marked by defining moments along the way, telling a story like layers of rock and sediment. Here are a few key moments that stay with me:
In March 2017, just ahead of Daniel Montsion's first scheduled court appearance following his charges, some Ottawa police officers were found selling and promoting blue wristbands in support of the accused, with funds directed to the Ottawa Police Association (OPA). Our coalition responded with a statement calling for the OPA to show reason and discretion in a difficult time, and to act with human dignity in mind. In a surprising turn of events, a retired Ottawa firefighter countered with his own line of wristbands in a show of solidarity with the deceased. These duelling campaigns caused a further divide that increased tensions in the community.
On July 24, 2017, our coalition, along with local politicians and community members, unveiled a plaque at 55 Hilda St. in Hintonburg just above the steps where Abdirahman lost his life.
The plaque symbolized an “awakening,” calling on the community to stand united for justice.
In March 2018, after nearly two years of research, consultations and lunchtime talks with legislative drafters, we witnessed the fruits of our labour in the passing of legislation that would address almost all the shortcomings of policing and policing oversight in Ontario. Sadly this win was short-lived due to the June 2018 repeal of the legislation by the incoming Doug Ford government in Ontario. It passed the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, which, interestingly enough, reads as the “COPS” Act, in its shortened form.
What is probably the most emotional moment for me in these years is the June 2020 public apology from Bridgehead. In a turn of events, the founder and former owner of Bridgehead in Ottawa, Tracey Clark, apologized for her initial response to Abdirahman Abdi's death. It was not an easy apology to accept by either the family or those who felt the sting of racism that Tracey's initial comments conjured. Previously, I had written about how Abdirahman Abdi's family taught me that love rises above anger. I was reminded of this on a phone call with Abdirahman's mother when I asked her if she would accept Tracey's apology. She said to me: “We are all humans. If we can't show each other mercy in these moments, then we lose our humanity.” With that, I responded to Tracey's email, and on June 23, 2020, I had the opportunity to address Tracey directly on air in a CBC radio interview concerning the apology. To her credit, Tracey made a commitment to do better.
In the public sphere, we have heard similar intentions to course-correct on systemic racism by all levels of government. Currently, all three levels of government boast anti-racism secretariats. Last month, George Strathy, Chief Justice of Ontario, in the official opening of the courts, said: “the prevalence and perseverance of anti-Black racism has been laid bare … that we still have not fully acknowledged, responded to, or made adequate reparations for the historic effects of slavery and colonialism, nor for the centuries of racism and discrimination that have followed.”
In the speech from the throne, the federal government committed to address the systemic inequities in all phases of the criminal justice system.
For the last several weeks, over my lunch-hours, evenings and weekends, I have been fielding calls and emails from media, representatives of the local police force and different community groups asking me what kind of community reaction can be expected following the verdict.
My answer: I do not know. First, I do not know what the verdict will be. If Montsion is free to walk with no convictions, I do not know what that reaction will be of a community that has endured historic and systemic racism. This community just lost Anthony Aust a few days ago. He is another Black man, lost tragically after, or because of, alleged police misconduct or abuse of power. I do not know what reaction will come from a community whose cries for equality and fair treatment continue to go unheard.
The question then is, how do people react to a system of justice that they feel denies them justice and only offers a lack of accountability rather than balance and fairness?
What I do know is that a platform to express this reaction is needed. On the personal request of Abdirahman Abdi's mother, the Justice for Abdirahman Coalition will be holding a news conference following the verdict on Tuesday. It is her wish to create a peaceful and productive platform for this historic moment, rather than leaving a void. This event will mark the closure of the trial and express the community's wish to move forward, whatever that may look like. Whether the verdict and its aftermath create fertile ground for growth, or cause further erosion, remains to be seen. Whatever the outcome, the feelings of these past four years, layer upon layer, run deep.
If Montsion is free to walk with no convictions, I do not know what that reaction will be of a community that has endured historic and systemic racism.