Methinks many folks agree with the political lawyer Ahmed Hussen However many more with 2 clues between their ears should be very embarrassed the leader of Canada would do such a thing N'esy Pas?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence, the length of time that a Minneapolis police officer knelt on George Floyd's neck before his death, at an anti-racism protest on Parliament Hill Friday. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an appearance at an anti-racism protest on Parliament Hill today, showing up unannounced to hear speeches from activists demanding fairer treatment from police for minorities.
Trudeau joined the large crowd in kneeling for eight minutes and 46 seconds — which is how long a Minneapolis police officer held down George Floyd with his knee on his neck before he died. The African-American man died while in police custody on May 25; all four officers at the scene now face charges.
Protesters in other cities have asked police officers to kneel to show respect for black people who have been killed in police custody. Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders also took a knee during a protest in that city today.
Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick launched the kneeling gesture some years ago by dropping to one knee during the national anthem to protest violent police treatment of African-Americans. His critics accused him of showing disrespect for the anthem and the American flag.
Trudeau tried to blend into the crowd Friday — but TV cameras and the RCMP security detail made his presence known to the roughly 4,000 activists gathered around the Centennial Flame on the lawn at Parliament Hill. Trudeau told his security detail to stop pushing people as he made his way closer to the stage where the speakers were addressing the crowd.
Trudeau initially was met with chants of "Stand up to Trump!" and "Go away!" from some in the crowd. The yelling died down as local black leaders started speaking about their calls for an end to racial injustice at home and abroad.
WATCH | Justin Trudeau takes a knee during anti-black racism protest
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an appearance at an anti-racism rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa Friday. He was met with chants of "Stand up to Trump!" from the crowd and kneeled for eight minutes and 46 seconds to remember George Floyd. 1:47
The Trump chant was a reference to the prime minister's reluctance to condemn U.S. President Donald Trump by name over his handling of the protests.
Trudeau was asked this week to respond to the president's threat to deploy active duty military personnel on protesters in U.S. cities — a question that Trudeau answered after a 21-second pause.
The prime minister clapped Friday as the assembled speakers chanted "black lives matter" and called on those in power to do more to address systemic racism.
Someone in the crowd handed the prime minister a T-shirt with that slogan emblazoned on the front. Trudeau was accompanied by Families Minister Ahmed Hussen, a Somali-Canadian who has spoken out about the racism he has faced in Canada.
"I think it's powerful when you have the head of government taking a knee and clapping when people say 'black lives matter,'" Hussen said. "It's incredibly powerful for him to come and be part of this."
The crowd on hand for the Parliament Hill protest was a multi-racial cross-section of the city, something Hussen said gives him "a lot of hope in the future."
WATCH | Ahmed Hussen says the PM's action were 'pretty powerful'
Families Minister Ahmed Hussen spoke with reporters after attending the anti-racism rally on Parliament Hill with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau June 5. 1:29
After the speeches, the protesters moved down Wellington St., which runs right in front of the Prime Minister's Office in downtown Ottawa.
NDP Jagmeet Singh also took part in similar anti-black racism protests in Toronto. He marched with the activists to that city's Nathan Phillips Square.
"We need to be heard. People need to be heard," Singh said in a video post on his Instagram page.
"People want justice, they want systemic change and an end to racial profiling."
Erica Nashir So he can attend a rally with thousands in close proximity, but too dangerous to be in the House of Commons, with social distancing procedures in place
Reply to @Marie Harris: parliament is shut down - there is no oversight on how the liberals are spending.
If JT can attend a rally (photo op) it’s time for him to stop hiding in his cottage and explain to taxpayers how he plans to pay back the BILLIONS he borrowed before and after Covid 19.
Bort Smith
Reply to @Marie Harris: Virtual Parliament is not parliament. It's a sham by the Liberals to hide from scrutiny.
David Amos
Reply to @Erica Nashir: 'I think it's powerful when you have the head of government taking a knee,' Minister Ahmed Hussen says
Methinks many would agree with that political lawyer however many more should be very embarrassed that our leader would do such a thing N'esy Pas?
Federal ministers express outrage over N.B. shooting death of Chantel Moore
26-year-old woman from Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation killed Thursday
Shane Magee· CBC News· Posted: Jun 05, 2020 11:41 AM AT
Chantel Moore, 26, grew up on Vancouver Island but left recently to live in New Brunswick where she joined her mother and five-year-old daughter, Gracie. (Chantel Moore/Facebook)
Eight investigators with Quebec's independent police watchdog group have been sent to Edmundston to investigate a police officer's actions leading up to the shooting death of Chantel Moore early Thursday.
Moore, a 26-year-old woman from Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation in British Columbia, was shot as police were carrying out a wellness check.
Police in the northwestern New Brunswick city say Moore ran out of her apartment onto a balcony with a knife, threatening the officer who then shot her.
In a news release, Quebec's Independent Investigations Office said it will determine if the information released by police is correct. Sylvie Boutin, a spokesperson for the organization, said no interviews will be provided during the investigation, which could take a few months to complete.
Moore's death has drawn national attention at a time of increased scrutiny on the use of force by police in Canada and the United States.
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller, speaking during a news conference Friday in Ottawa, said he's "outraged" by the continuing pattern of police violence against Indigenous people in Canada.
"I don't understand how someone dies during a wellness check," Miller said about Moore's death, adding when he first heard about it he thought it was some kind of a morbid joke.
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller says there is a 'pattern' of police violence against Indigenous people in Canada, citing the shooting death of a New Brunswick woman earlier this week and a video that appears to show police in Kinngait, Nunavut, striking a man with the door of a pickup truck. 2:00
First Nations leaders in British Columbia issued a statement Thursday evening condemning the police actions and expressed outrage over her "tragic and senseless death."
The shooting occurred just over a year after the release of the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Doug White, chair of the BC First Nations Justice Council, said the government has failed to act on the report.
"De-escalation training and racial bias training is urgently needed across this country to avoid another senseless loss," White said.
Many have questions about the exact circumstances which led to her death, and her loved ones and community deserve those answers through the independent review announced by the police.
Federal Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett tweeted Thursday that her heart is with Moore's family, friends and community.
"Another Indigenous woman is no longer with us," Bennett wrote. "Significant work remains to ensure that all Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender diverse people have access to the supports they need and can walk safely, wherever they live."
The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, representing 14 First Nations along the Pacific coast of Vancouver Island, issued a statement calling for answers.
"The family and community of Chantel needs answers as to why she was shot on a health check by the police," the statement said. "Justice must not wait and every power must be exerted to ensure that justice is served in an appropriate, immediate, and respectful way."
The council also called for police practices that de-escalate situations and to use trauma-informed approaches.
Edmundston police on Thursday said the officer didn't attempt to use non-lethal force, though that would be part of the independent investigation. The force in the city of 16,500 along the border with Maine does not use body cameras.
Edmundston Mayor Cyrille Simard has yet to comment on what happened. A spokesperson for the city said neither the municipality or the police force would be commenting now that the independent investigation is underway.
