‘It’s no longer a one-race fight’ as Calgarians rally downtown
Thousands of people marched through downtown Calgary on Monday to denounce racism in response to the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis last week after a white police officer jammed a knee on his neck.
Protests have spread to cities across the United States, Canada and around the world.
In Montreal, 11 people were arrested on Sunday night when some protesters smashed windows and lit fires.
In Vancouver, more than 1,000 people rallied outside the Vancouver Art Gallery, chanting, “No justice, no peace!”
Jamar Wall, who attended Monday’s demonstration in Calgary, said the marches are needed to raise awareness of anti-black racism.
“This is what it’s going to take. It’s no longer a one-race fight,” said Wall.
“Everyone sees what’s going on in this world. If you don’t see it, you’re blind to it on purpose and this is what you need for the world to unite because of the situation.
“It is affecting more than one person. It is affecting one race predominantly but you have friends and it’s affecting them — it is affecting everyone and it needs to change.”
Monday’s protest, which began at the East Village Riverwalk Plaza, wound through downtown before ending in a massive gathering at Calgary City Hall.
Wall said he was shocked at the number of people who turned out for the event, which was circulated on social media over the weekend.
“This has actually brought a tear to my eye,” he said. “This is what it takes, the black community, the business community. Everyone is literally at their last wits, literally their last cry for help to make a change and it shows the strength and diversity of Calgary.”
Calgary Police Service officers marshalled the crowd while walking alongside.
The local force later issued a statement on social media in response to the demonstration.
“While we are proud of the relationships that CPS has built in our city, we don’t for a moment believe we are perfect,” it said. “This world is big, but we know what is happening in the U.S. is being felt far beyond their borders.
“We are always one incident, one moment of broken trust, one tragedy away from experiencing a shift in the foundation that we have built with those we serve.”
Some of the protesters, including a woman named Jamie, who declined to give her surname, were pleased to see police support.
“I think it is cool that the police have decided to march with the protesters because they know there is a lot of things wrong with the justice system and I think it’s important that they acknowledge that,” she said.
Premier Jason Kenney, during a news conference Monday, was asked whether he supports the Black Lives Matter movement and ongoing protests against racism and police brutality.
Kenney said the government acknowledges the constitutional right to protest in Canada.
“I denounce racism in any form and police brutality anywhere that it occurs,” he said. “We need to acknowledge that we’re not perfect in Canada, that we always need to strive to do better in ensuring equality of all before the law.
“I understand why people are, quite rightly, outraged about the video that appeared last week, about the incident that occurred in Minneapolis.”
The premier cautioned that “super-spreader events” can threaten people’s lives amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and that public gatherings were still limited to a maximum of 50 people outdoors under public health orders.
“We ask people, if they do have to gather, congregate in the same areas, at the very least they do everything they can to maintain two metres of distance with others and where possible to wear a face-covering to help reduce the chances of transmission,” Kenney said.
A second demonstration is planned for Wednesday at the 10th Street bridge in Kensington, starting at 2 p.m.