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Police Violence and Impunity Must End! Protest Held at Peel Regional Police Headquarters Demands Justice for Ejaz Choudry
On Saturday, June 27, community members, social justice activists, religious and other organizations assembled in front of Peel Regional Police Headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario, to protest the unjustifiable shooting death of Ejaz Choudry at the hands of police. Many brought signs -- especially the youth -- with messages such as "Justice for Ejaz!," "Mental Health is Not a Crime!," "Stop Police Violence!" and "We Want Answers Now!" Loud chants were heard throughout the afternoon: "No Justice! No Peace!" and "The System Isn't Broken, It Was Built That Way!"
Leaders of the Muslim community spoke at the rally. Mustafa Farooq, CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), spoke first, asking "How does a wellness call end up in the taking away of a life?" Ejaz Choudry, he said, was not a danger to anyone but himself. Farooq called for equal treatment of all, regardless of race, religion or mental health and vowed that NCCM would continue to advocate for justice, transparency, accountability and for reforms that are paramount to serve the community going forward. Imam Ibrahim Hindy spoke on behalf of the Muslim Council of Peel. He said the police had failed the public in the killing of Ejaz Choudry but this was not an isolated case. It has become ubiquitous to have national minorities and marginalized people experience similar injustices in their communities. He called for an end to the impunity of police for their acts of aggression. Imam Hindy also reiterated what many are saying -- that instead of spending money on tactical units used to kill people, the money ought to be directed to funding for mental health. His remarks were met by the chant "Defund the Police." Both of Mr. Choudry's nephews spoke and thanked the community for their strong support. On behalf of the family, they asked "How long does it take the Special Investigations Unit to investigate?" and "How long does it take to have justice?" The protesters responded with chants of "Stop Police Violence!" and "Stop Killing Innocent Civilians!" |
The various
individuals and organizations that spoke all share
the conviction that the tragic shooting death of
Mr. Choudry could have been avoided, that his
killing was unjustified.
