No Racist and Colonialist Monuments Protest

On July 18 a protest was held in downtown Toronto calling for the removal of colonialist and racist monuments. Statues of Egerton Ryerson, one of the main architects of the residential school system; Canada's first Prime Minister John A. Macdonald, who implemented a policy of land theft and starvation to quell Metis dissent; and King Edward VII, which was given to Toronto in 1969 by India, in the process of getting rid of reminders of the days of British rule, were covered in pink paint.

Police surrounded and arrested three protestors. They were held for nearly 16 hours, while protestors outside 52 Division demanded their release. All three protestors were denied legal counsel and one was denied medication for hours. They all refused to sign papers imposing conditions on them.

Support actions and protests of symbols of colonialism and racism continue.

This article was published in

Volume 50 Number 28 - August 1, 2020

Article Link:
No Racist and Colonialist Monuments Protest

    

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