Whether it is an attack by a person generated by racial hatred or a police officer's brutality revealed to be racially motivated, Canada is seeing a disturbing rise in racism.
"Vancouver police reported a surge in anti-Asian hate crime in 2020, with seniors being attacked and businesses vandalized. Data from Statistics Canada shows that Canadians with Asian backgrounds were more likely to report noticing increased racial or ethnic harassment during the pandemic."
Surrey, British Columbia
Racial slurs hurled at women in a park.
Read of the incident here
https://twitter.com/NEWS1130/status/1421693442980204544?s=20
"Today begins the trial of Jury selection for the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, whose knee pressing on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes was captured on graphic video last May, is expected to get underway Monday."
The world is watching to process and outcome questioning whether Joe Biden's presidency has sent racists underground or whether Donald Trump's noxious and vilifying dialog is the racist genie which can not be rebottled.
The killing of George Floyd in Missouri sparked anger in Canada and America.
"Last summer, millions of people protested across the U.S. against Floyd's killing in scenes not witnessed since the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Protests against racial injustice and police brutality spread to Canada and many cities internationally."
A Thompson, Manitoba police officer claimed a first nations man attacked him prompting the officer to retaliate. Evidence revealed such was not the case.
View the incident here
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1749751875580/
Please listen to these comments. Yes, they are actors, but their dialog is today, in Canada and America.
Halcrow was charged with three counts of assaulting a police officer and causing a disturbance while intoxicated initially.
"Seven months later, on Jan. 5, 2020, he killed himself."
"And two days after Halcrow's death, the police watchdog arrested and charged Dumont-Fontaine with assault causing bodily harm following a six-month investigation."
Read the article here
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/rcmp-thompson-iiu-wfpcbc-cbc-1.5928237
The RCMP has a lengthy history of misguided relationships with first nations citizens, often resulting in unprovoked violence. Can Commissioner Lucki turn the force around?
Critics claim the Force is so riddled with personnel with racial biases that the commissioner has an impossible task.
Was it ignorance, ethnic bigotry or incompetence which lead to Dziekenski's death?
"Const. Kwesi Millington, the RCMP officer who fired a Taser the night Robert Dziekanski died at Vancouver International Airport, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for perjury and colluding with his fellow officers at an inquiry into the death."
Why were four officers dispatched to the airport to deal with one man causing a disturbance? Why did none of the officers approach the man to ascertain the cause for his anger? CBC journalist Curt Petrovich details the incident, the RCMP cover-up and the financial settlement with Robert's mother.
Thank you Canada for being proactive and creative in your immigration policies. I hope you also have removed barriers from the process allowing professionals to practice their skills such as doctors, nurses, teachers et al.
I am shocked as are my friends and colleagues. We have been ignorant for too long. We all remember U.S. History in high school and a few text book paragraphs about American slaves fleeing to what is now Canada prior to the American Civil War.
The irony which we are just learning, is that a group of French descendants, Acadians, living in Nova Scotia had their lands confiscated by the British and they were deported to South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Their homes and crops were burned.
The descendants of the Acadians are the racists and bigots of today.
THIS is my Canada
WELCOME TO CANADA!
Amutun, Rose and James, thank you for choosing our country to be yours!
"Amotun Lokoro, 29, and two others are being welcomed in Ontario after the Olympics, under a new program allowing refugees to obtain permanent resident status — and potentially, one day, Canadian citizenship — on the basis of athletic ability. According to the United Nations' refugee agency (UNHCR), Canada is the first country to adopt such a scheme."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tokyo-refugee-team-canada-1.6125084?fbclid=IwAR2YAtS0mokpWcrW2pop7h9PPTtxGnA2t-H2XZ0qBNWPp9ZladIqiLfIpNU