Black Lives Matter protest attracts hundreds (5 photos)

Hundreds showed up for a Black Lives Matter rally, held in Elliot Lake Saturday evening to show their opposition to police violence against visible minorities. 

The parade was one of many held in communities this weekend across Canada in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis almost two weeks ago at the hands of police officers. 

Floyd was being arrested and held on the ground with his head pinned to the asphalt by a police officer’s knee for about eight minutes and 45 seconds while saying “I can’t breathe.”

The Elliot Lake protest started with several appeals for a halt to racism violence before vehicles paraded through the streets of the city from the lower plaza.

The crowd chanted “Black Lives Matter” and “George Floyd” while kneeling on one knee symbolizing what Floyd suffered at the hands of police.

“I don’t know about you guys but my knee hurts,” Dave Neave, one of the rally organizers told supporters. “Could you imagine not breathing for that long. Thank you for supporting a good movement. Racism is not acceptable anymore.”

Speaker 22-year-old Katia Ferderber has been staging a walking protest in Elliot Lake. The Indigenous women urged local residents to join her or go individually on June 9 at 11 a.m. to show opposition to racism. The date coincides with the day Floyd’s funeral will take place.

“I have started this run because it was the only way I could think of getting your attention and starting this conversation… here in Elliot Lake,“ she said. “As an Indigenous woman, I know what it’s like to be discriminated against because of the colour of my skin.”

The names of black people who were killed by police or harassed were read out by one speaker who said, “We cannot be living like this. Black people deserve to live. We may be a small community but together we can make a difference.”

“For once the racists are the minority,” Neave said. “I know it’s black lives matter but I just want it to be lives matters. 

“I want to be charged on the content of my character not the colour of my skin,” Neave said of police involvement.

Rally organizers had urged those attending to adhere to COVID-19 self-distancing regulations with the majority of those who took part wearing face masks and staying a two-meter distance from each other.

NDP MPP Michael Mantha, who represents the Algoma Manitoulin riding, said he was amazed about the size of the crowd who attended the protest.

Mantha called on the provincial government to put in place money to educate the public about racism and how to combat it. He also called on the government to establish funds to upgrade police training to address racism.

“Racism is real…it is something that exists here and across Canada. No one should die when they call the police for help,” he said. “

He urged the provincial government to declare anti-racism a public health crisis.

“System change needs to happen now,” he added.

Another speaker from the Bear Clan of Serpent River Ojibway thanked those attending the rally.

“We look forward to working with you.  You’re going to be great allies at other rallies and gatherings,” the speaker who attended to events specifically for Black Lives said.

NDP MP Carol Hughes for the Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing riding also spoke.

“Today we are gathered to support the call for justice,  peace and solidarity as part of a movement that will define this time apart from the pandemic,” Hughes said. 

“True equality and justice have been about the most difficult goals to achieve,” she added.

Hughes also noted the 21-second silence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a recent media briefing where he didn’t answer directly a question from a reporter about his response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s handling of demonstrations following Floyd’s death.

“It shouldn’t take 21 seconds to speak against what has happened here (in the U.S.). Twenty-one seconds to respond to a very critical question,” she said.

“We need to do the difficult work to ensure this hatred is not allowed to continue. Black lives matter, Indigenous lives matter,” she said.

One of the most heartfelt addresses to the crowd came from local resident Jodie MacDougall who lost her 19-year-old son Quinn who was shot and killed by police in 2018.

“He called for help and within five minutes he had five bullets in his chest,” the former Vietnamese national said. “I came to Canada because of freedom.”

“When people are preparing their sons and daughters for college I had to bury mine,” she recalled. “The pain doesn’t stop.”

“We need compassionate understanding and that goes all around,” she told those attending.

The vehicle parade wound its way around the city following the rally speeches.