Trudeau, Scheer, Singh Condemn Anti-Black Racism As U.S. Protests Rage
Canadian political leaders showed a united front Monday by speaking out against the scourge of anti-Black racism, while reminding Canadians that it is not just an issue for Americans to confront.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh all spoke to reporters about the protests that have erupted in the United States, Canada, and Europe after last week’s police killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, in Minneapolis.
Watch: Federal leaders speak out on U.S. protests
Bystander video showed Floyd pinned to the ground with a white officer’s knee on his neck for eight minutes. Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe. He was later taken to hospital, where he died. The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been fired and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Three other officers, who were present during the incident but did not intervene, have also been fired from the police department.
Demonstrations in many major U.S. cities turned violent over the weekend, with concerns raised about aggressive police tactics, including firing rubber bullets, tear gas, and pepper spray on protesters and journalists alike.
In Montreal, 11 people were arrested after a rally against anti-Black racism Sunday when some protesters lit fires, smashed windows, and clashed with police. A day earlier, thousands took to the streets for a peaceful protest in Toronto against anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism. They also demanded answers in the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a Black woman who fell from an apartment balcony in the presence of Toronto police officers last week.
At his daily briefing outside his Ottawa residence, Trudeau said Monday that “as a country, we can’t pretend racism doesn’t exist here.” Anti-Black racism, systemic discrimination, and unconscious bias are all real aspects of Canadian life, he said.
PM asked about his blackface incidents
Trudeau said the thousands of Canadians who joined...
