Witness to beating urges others to act
If you see something, say something.
That was Manwar Khan’s message to the dozens of people gathered on the steps of Calgary’s City Hall on Saturday morning for an anti- bullying rally, as he urged Albertans not to be a silent bystander when they witness acts of bullying or violence.
“Don’t pretend it’s not happening. Don’t walk away,” said the Edmonton man, as the rain fell and strong winds upturned umbrellas. “Don’t be a bystander. You need to speak up for someone who needs our help.”
It was a deadly beating on an Edmonton LRT years ago that spurred Khan to launch a provincewide, antibullying awareness campaign.
He got on a train on Dec. 28, 2012. As the train pulled into Stadium Station, he saw a man chasing and hitting another passenger.
Khan activated the emergency alarm and asked others on the train to help, but got no response.
John Hollar, 29, died in hospital later that week after receiving injuries from a beating that continued until two stops later, where police arrested Jeremy Newborn.
“I expected I would get help, but I didn’t,” Khan said. “I don’t blame any passengers today. All I’m saying is, when something like this happens, we need to step forward. We need to go and get help for that person.”
At Saturday’s rally, Khan was joined by a long list of speakers, including current and former politicians, as well as hopefuls running in the federal election.
Many drew from their personal experiences.
Michael Connolly, NDP MLA for Calgary- Hawkwood, spoke of bullying in schools and against LGBTQ students, crediting gay- straight alliances for giving kids, “a greater sense of belonging.”