Another event held in solidarity with a faraway community facing racial prejudice, as part of a national campaign to remind that none should stand alone against human rights abuses.
Three dozen allies stood in solidarity with the indigenous community of Winnipeg, on a national day of protests, to demand the search of the landfill believed to harbour the remains of murder victims Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran. Such calls to action continue in the wake of the dismantling of the Brady Landfill blockade in a notable act of civil disobedience meant to break the spirit of the provincial government.
Their faces painted with red palms, the organisers decried the outright racist decision not to bring the families’ ordeal to closure and instead treat the victims like literal garbage. An advocate who later took the mic pointed out that such searches had already been conducted, in Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario for example, thus invalidating any practicality claims to the contrary by the government of Manitoba.
More speakers would come forward to denounce the systemic racism which lead to this perpetual crisis. That the countless victims going missing (for truly they are countless, in every sense of the word) are first the victims of deeply ingrained racism manifesting itself in daily acts of aggression in plain sight of an indifferent public and uncaring first responders, the prejudice of course following them beyond the grave.
Attendees were invited to participate, by singing a warrior song, signing a petition poster, and performing a round dance to close the event.
It was a nice rally, short and to the point. I feel like it would have attracted more people if not for the fact that the word failed to spread; I myself found out only two days prior, by scrutinising an article on Global News. Indeed it would seem curious onlookers constituted a significant portion of the crowd, a sign that more might have come had they known. Perhaps the general public isn’t as indifferent, after all.
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Never take your rights for granted. Women in particular know even hard-earned ones are never far from being taken away.
Although the event was a relative success, its outcome leaves me most apprehensive. Regretfully, we had to end it early.
