Hamilton Indigenous Unity Rally
Demonstrators Take Down Statue of
Sir John A. Macdonald
The Indigenous community in Hamilton organized a rally in Gore Park on August 14 at the site of a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald. The rally, with speeches, drumming and other cultural expressions, concluded a march to the park from City Hall. During the rally some participants took the situation in hand and brought down the statue, to cheers from the hundreds of people assembled.
One of the organizers of the rally said that taking down the statue had not been part of the plan for the rally which was organized to make the voices of Indigenous people heard. She said she was relieved that the statue was gone and called on the police and the City not to criminalize Indigenous people for that. She pointed out that such an action would not have been taken if City Council had done the right thing and removed the statue.
The rally was organized to support the demand that Hamilton City Council remove the statue. Just over a month before, on July 8, City Council had voted 12 to 3 against a motion presented by Ward 3 City Councillor Nrinder Nann that the statue be removed from the park. Council received over a thousand letters and eight delegations before the vote asking for the removal of the statue.
Organizers said in their call for the rally: “The purpose of a statue is to assert, promote and celebrate cultural values. By keeping this statue in a public space, it acts as a reminder of the values that led to the forcible removal of Indigenous children and the destruction of families. It invokes great pain and forces community members to relive the trauma for which Sir John A. Macdonald is partially responsible. It is also openly in opposition to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the recent Declaration of Mutual Commitment and Friendship signed by the City of Hamilton, to improve supports and services for Indigenous people in our community.”
