Editor’s note: the last names of protestors interviewed in this story have been omitted to preserve their identities.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the streets of downtown Ottawa Friday afternoon to demand an end to anti-Black racism and police brutality.
The No Peace Until Justice Coalition (NPJC) protest was organized in reaction to recent deaths of Black community members in Canada and the United States. George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, died at the hands of Minneapolis police on May 25, and Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a Black woman from Toronto, died after falling from a balcony while police were responding to a call inside her apartment on May 27.
The march, organized by the NPJC, began on Parliament Hill at 3 p.m. Protesters then congregated at the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights monument opposing City Hall where demonstrators listened to activists’ calls for fairer treatment of minorities from police.
Hundreds of protesters also gathered outside of the U.S. Embassy, collectively chanting “George Floyd,” “Black lives matter,” and “no justice, no peace.”
Demonstrators fell on one knee around 4 p.m., in memory of Floyd’s last moments. They kneeled in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds — the same length of time that a Minneapolis police officer held Floyd down with his knee.
The diversity of protesters gave hope to Isaiah Pemberton, a student at an Ottawa high school.
“If it was just Black people here today that wouldn’t have changed anything,” Pemberton said. “The diversity in this group shows that there are other people who are non-Black who understand the severity of this issue.”
While awareness of racism in the United States is important, Pemberton said Canadians must also acknowledge systemic anti-Black racism at home.
“Especially as a young Canadian Black man, people need to understand I grew up in a community that loves me, but still my life is at risk every day,” he said. “A lot of people are naive to the fact that just because we live in Canada does not mean Black people are not susceptible to […] racism.”
For Taneisha Dunham, a Carleton University student, the protest was an opportunity for her to stand up against the injustices happening across the world and in Ottawa.
“This is a time which has served as a wake-up call for a lot of people,” Dunham said. “I hope people start to recognize that this is a Canadian issue as well, and I hope there are more non-Black allies that speak up with us.”
Kimberley Eady, a nurse at Queensway Carleton Hospital and a full-time student, protested in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement while also ensuring the safety of demonstrators amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With a group of volunteers, Eady distributed 500 bottles of sanitizer provided by Ottawa Public Health.
“Public health is a major issue [and] is disproportionately killing Black people along with the police,” Eady said.”If those are the two systems meant to keep people safe, then we are not safe because the system is failing.”
First-time demonstrator Lillian, who identified herself as an Asian Canadian, said the march was a chance to raise her voice against injustice.
“I’d like to be here for the Black Lives Matter movement because even though I have experienced discrimination myself, I am a privileged individual,” she said.
Lillian added that she stood in solidarity at the march to do her part in making sure Black voices are heard.
“I’ve always been one of those people who have been silent but had a voice inside, so being here I just wanted to show my solidarity,” she said.
The protest wasn’t just a chance to stand in solidarity, but it also served as an educational moment for youth, a protestor who identified herself as Doreen said.
“I brought my children with me today because they need to know they will be scrutinized, that eventually when they grow up they will be seen as Black even though they are half-white, half-Black. If you’re not white, you’re not white,” she said.
Doreen explained that her goal was to empower her children, and to show solidarity with U.S. protestors of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“We do not accept the mistreatment of their Black citizens,” she said. “We stand next to them.”
The march attracted demonstrators of all ages to advocate for equality. A protestor named Jacob said everyone should have the right to meet their full potential in the land they live in.
“I am here as an older gentleman to empower my young brothers to do better,” he said. “Every time that we protest it makes a difference, and this is only the beginning.”
Featured image by Tim Austen.
