Rallies in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Toronto, London and Montreal denounce police violence in Colombia

Published by Brent Patterson on

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Photo: Rally in Ottawa in solidarity with the social protests in Colombia.

There have been rallies in several cities in Canada over the past few days against the police violence that has been inflicted against the social protests in Colombia.

Ottawa

Radio-Canada reports: “In support of the Colombian community, a demonstration was held in front of parliament in Ottawa late Friday afternoon to denounce the police crackdown on protesters in Colombia. The organizer of the demonstration also called for the Canadian government to take a stand, recalling that the response to the crisis in Venezuela had been strong and rapid.”

Winnipeg

CBC reports: Colombians living in Winnipeg are standing in solidarity with those caught up in deadly, anti-government protests happening in their home country. …Vehicles flying the Colombian flag drove around the Manitoba legislative building and drove by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, while small groups of people carried signs that said ‘SOS Colombia’, ‘Stop Police Brutality’ and ‘We Stand with You’.”

Saskatoon

CTV reports: “Saskatoon’s Colombian community came together Saturday to raise awareness about the unrest gripping their home country. The protests have turned deadly, with at least 26 deaths. In response, a group of Colombians living in Saskatoon walked from City Hall to the Saskatoon Police Service headquarter Saturday evening holding up signs and a Colombian flag.”

Edmonton

CityTV News reports: “A rally was held in Edmonton on Saturday to show solidarity for the people of Colombia. The Colombian government responded with force and now the country is in uproar. Colombians in Edmonton are asking Prime Minister Trudeau to help bring international awareness to the current conflict happening in their country.”

Toronto

BlogTO reports: “In Toronto, hundreds of Colombians gathered in Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday evening to stand in solidarity with protesters at home.”

London

The London Free Press reports: “Hundreds of members of London’s Colombian community rallied peacefully Sunday to show support for friends and family back home, where anti-government protests have started turning violent. …Numerous videos posted on social media have documented Colombian police using excessive force in order to quell the unrest. For ex-patriates now living here, it’s an untenable situation.”

Montreal

Radio Canada International has also reported: “In Montreal a demonstration in front of the CBC/Radio-Canada facilities organized by 21N Somos Todos – Montreal (new window) on Thursday, May 6 and was very busy.”

Statement from Marc Garneau

By Sunday, Canada’s Foreign Minister Marc Garneau issued this statement that highlighted: “Canada condemns the violence, including the disproportionate use of force by security forces, and urges that the violence cease. The right to peaceful assembly and association are the bedrock of democracy and must be promoted and protected at all times.”

The Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project continues to provide physical and political accompaniment to human rights defenders during the national strike. For more on that, please see Photo journal: PBI-Colombia accompanies human rights defenders during the #ParoNacional national strike.

Winnipeg

Saskatoon

Edmonton

Toronto

London

Montreal


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