With unrest around the world, organizers in Thunder Bay are planning a Black Lives Matter protest and march this Friday at Waverley Park.
Jasmine Martinez and Fatima Mendis are helping to organize the event and say they felt the need to encourage people to use their privilege to amplify Black and Indigenous voices.
“Silence is a sign of racism, we all should be able to look at each other and be treated equally and it can only stop if we all act together,”Mendis said.
Martinez notes local residents can no longer turn a blind eye to racism.
“There’s people that are saying that there’s no racism here in Thunder Bay and there’s no racism in Canada, but there is. For this protest it’s both for Black lives and for Indigenous and we are trying to amplify their voices,” Martinez said.
Mendis says she has experienced racism first hand.
“Being stared down is the worst part, being stared down because of your skin and your skin colour is the worst part. It has to stop now and it can only stop if we all work together,” Mendis explained.
Police Chief Sylvie Hauth released a statement this afternoon about the Black Lives Matter protest.
“It is impossible to be silent when faced with an overwhelming issue that affects all of us. Racism is real and we all have a responsibility to face it and to take real actions to address it. There is no place in this society for violence and racist behaviours. There is no place for silence on this matter.
We stand today and everyday in solidarity with our community and most importantly, with those who experience racism and discrimination in all forms. My commitment to you is to remain transparent and accountable in all that we do as a Police Service. To Serve and Protect are empty words if we don’t make the effort to engage with all groups and communities here in this city. We are committed to continuing our work to build public trust.
The Thunder Bay Police Service respects the rights of all people in this community to have a voice and to be heard. We have reached out to the event organizers and support their goal of making this event a peaceful protest. That line of communication is critical to ensuring everyone’s health and safety and we are very appreciative of the organizers’ efforts in this regard. Our purpose in attending the protest on Friday will be to ensure public safety.”
