From rainy Prince George, B.C., to cloudy Whitehorse to the blue skies of St. Johnβs, Canadians gathered at protests across the country to join a worldwide call to action against racial injustice and police brutality.
The demonstrations are spurred by the killing last month of George Floyd, a Black man who died during an arrest by a white police officer over an alleged $20 counterfeit bill.
A few days after Floydβs death, a Black woman named Regis Korchinski-Paquet died in the presence of Toronto police when they responded to a call to resolve a family conflict.
These events have forced Canadians to revaluate their own experiences and attitudes towards with racism.
While much attention has been focused on large crowds in big cities including Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg, the groundswell has reached smaller places in Canada over the last few days.
In one of the most conservative towns in Canada, we still got out to march for Black Lives Matter in Grande Prairie, AB. #BlackLivesMatter #BLM pic.twitter.com/OCz37blMvF
— Ben Dover (@BenDoverTrum) June 6, 2020
A prayer being said for #GeorgeFloyd's mother. Everyone kneeling here in downtown #RedDeer. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/c8ZJ4eu7F1
— Josh Hall-rdnewsNOW π¨π¦π (@vancan19) June 6, 2020
First batch of photos from todayβs #BlackLivesMatter protest in #Iqaluit #Nunavut pic.twitter.com/NOsnGwCfxU
— Sima Sahar Zerehi (@SimaSaharZerehi) June 5, 2020
Standing in solidarity with you, #blm. @townofajax has one of the largest black communities in Canada. It's vital that we address antiblackness in our families, neighborhoods, communities and even within ourselves to keep our black communities safe. Black lives matter. pic.twitter.com/iwRESlE6vZ
— Armi De Francia (@a_defrancia) June 6, 2020
Hundreds of people took to the streets of Prince George during the first #BlackLivesMatters protest #cityofpg #racism #BLM #black #bc #canada @PGMatters #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/vNvBUMHbWS
— Jess Balzer (@jessicajbalzer) June 5, 2020
My Son and Daughter and Friend attended the BLM Protest in St. John's Newfoundland today. pic.twitter.com/2YZWiofQQU
— Suzanne Kilfoy (@susankilfoy) June 6, 2020
We stand proud here in Cambridge Ontario Canada#blm #blacklifematters #blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/Bcgu7UPdie
— Yularia Cosplay @Home Con (@ArilaCosplay) June 5, 2020
We've started protesting in Fredericton! #blm #fredericton #canada #blacklivesmattercanada pic.twitter.com/aa0vBUhRUm
— littleβ’mamaπ (@ems_94317) June 3, 2020
anti-black and anti-indigenous protest in whitehorse pic.twitter.com/zlfvUo3bQL
— christiβ·π¨π¦ (@egaytae) June 7, 2020
Today in Kingston, Ontario. Strong turn out and heartlfelt demonstration. #blm #BlackLivesMattters #Kingston #canada pic.twitter.com/oCi1MG93MT
— Emad Talisman (@PapaTalisman) June 6, 2020
A rally against racism drew a large crowd to Maffeo Sutton Park in Nanaimo on Friday as similar demonstrations took place around Canada and the world, calling for an end to institutionalized racism. #BLM #Nanaimo #Peacefulprotest #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/TnfT0Hyuzt
— Tyler Hay (@_hay_tyler) June 6, 2020
So proud of everyone today in Arnprior. We spoke up and showed up. #BlackLivesMatter #Arnprior #blm #Canada (also thatβs my kid leading the crowd) β€οΈ pic.twitter.com/TqmSIrJNs1
— Candice Nault (@BonafideC) June 7, 2020
Speeches are now being made by BIPOC community leaders and one speaker just said βCanada is not immune to racism,β to which the crowd erupted into loud applause. #BlackLivesMatter #IndigenousLivesMatter #BLM #yql pic.twitter.com/RsTQuBmEYC
— Taz Dhaliwal (@taz_dhaliwal) June 5, 2020
Bow Valley raises fist at Black Lives Matter rallies https://t.co/HtJBCukkCP pic.twitter.com/pwWl6B0JEt
— RockyMountainOutlook (@rmoutlook) June 6, 2020
saskatoon, canada says BLACK LIVES MATTER! #yxe #BlackLivesMatter #blm #NoJusticeNoPeace pic.twitter.com/rAF4RsEMIC
— aspen ! πππ (@pupipIier) June 5, 2020
Elliot Lake, Ontario Canada Protest today #BLM #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/GAEde3Jkls
— Tracey ππ #BLM #NoJusticeNoPeace #Icantbreathe! (@TraceyAnnCraft) June 6, 2020
Powerful messages of honour and change today outside of City Hall. #blm #BlackLivesMattter #blacklivesmattercanada #solidarity #canada #sarnia pic.twitter.com/8dc1EelOYv
— Brian White (@brianwhite519) June 2, 2020
Proud of the people of Victoria tonight. Iβm from the type of place where my graduating high school class of 350 had about 15 black students... so to see a strong, peaceful, respectful turnout tonight was really amazing.
— Hosp. π (@Hospey) June 2, 2020
(P.S. Canada is NOT innocent in this by any means.) #BLM pic.twitter.com/LnGnnKYHOW
Windsor Black Lives Matter Protest π€ #BlackLivesMattter #BLM #protest #speakup #endracism #wehaveadream #ihaveadream #MLK #equal #windsor #ontario #canada pic.twitter.com/ZDQBz84vTd
— Chaos (@Chaos_519) June 7, 2020
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