Protestors in Toronto Speak Out Against Racial Violence in Charlottesville, VA
In a show of solidarity to protest racially motivated violence in Charlottesville, VA., by white supremacists groups on the weekend, over one hundred people gathered outside the U.S. Consulate in Toronto.
Organizers of the Toronto protests said they felt the need to speak out – there were no speeches, or megaphones, only peaceful protesters holding signs and chanting, “No hate, no fear. Fascists aren’t welcomed here,” National Post reports. Some demonstrators even flew the American flag upside down in protest. One woman, gave out t-shirts to people with the words, “Toronto loves everybody,” written on it.
Yesterday’s Toronto protest joins a string of outcries against racial tensions in the U.S.
Recently, popular domain provider, GoDaddy told white supremacist site, The Daily Stormer, they would no longer do business with them.
GoDaddy tweeted, “We informed The Daily Stormer that they have 24 hours to move the domain to another provider, as they have violated our terms of service.”
The tweet was brought to GoDaddy’s attention by women’s organization, The New Agenda, President Amy Suskind, who called on GoDaddy to pull its relationship with The Daily Stormer for posting a character-degrading article about Heather Heyer, who was killed at the white supremacist rally when a car ran into a line of demonstrators.
Yesterday, in Durham, North Carolina, a crowd of protestors tore down a Confederate statue in front of a county court house building.
North Carolina’s Governor, Roy Cooper, took to Twitter in response tweeting, “The racism and deadly violence in Charlottesville is unacceptable but there is a better way to remove these monuments.”
This past weekend’s white supremacist rally has been described as the largest of its kind in recent U.S. history.
Demonstrators turned out to object to city council’s decision to take down a statue of Robert E. Lee – the Confederacy’s top general – and counter-protestors also turned out – and the situation quickly turned fatal. Heather Heyer, 32, who attended the rally in protest, was killed by James Alex Fields who drove his car into a line of demonstrators. Fields was arrested and denied bail; he is in custody on one count of second-degree murder, and three counts of malicious wounding, and one count of leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
President Donald Trump succumbed to pressure yesterday to denounce the hate groups, two days after the violence calling, “The KKK, Neo Nazi’s, and white supremacists “repugnant.”
Trump also said, “We must love each other, show affection for each other, and unite together in condemnation of hatred, bigotry and violence. We must rediscover the bonds of love and loyalty that bring us together as Americans.”
Donna Gabaccia, one of the Toronto rally organizers, and history professor at the University of Toronto – Scarborough Campus, told the CBC that many demonstrators in Toronto were U.S. citizens living in Canada, speaking out against what happened in Charlottesville and opposing any kind of racism, bigotry, anti-Semitism, or any kind of exclusion or hate.
In other reports, Toronto protesters say the fear that happened in Charlottesville could come to Canada, one protestor is quoted as saying, “I really do not want to see that cancer in the United States spreading here in Canada,” Jesse-Blue Forrest, told the National Post.
As a member of the Context team, we are amazed that in 2017, we are writing stories covering events such as these. Yet, I am not shocked at the racist acts being displayed by our neighbours to the south.
I’ve personally experienced racism in the Canadian school system. Racism, prejudice and more, exist all around us. That includes – Canada. Humanity is shocked when violence like this erupts, but to be honest, it didn’t come out of the blue.
There are deep-seated thoughts and beliefs that have been bubbling undercover in people’s minds and emotions for many years. It’s just now, it seems that the current political environment has given a place for people to erupt with what has always been there.
In the end, it all goes to show how broken humanity is, and how much it is in need of a saviour – Jesus, who has called all of us to a higher standard of living and existing with each other. Our existence is rooted in love, acceptance and harmony.
