Protests against police violence and racism swept Canada over the weekend, as participants demanded justice for George Floyd, a Minneapolis man who was killed by police last week and Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a Toronto woman whose family allege police pushed her off a balcony to her death last week.
Thousands marched in Toronto on Saturday, with thousands more joining them in Montreal and Vancouver on Sunday. Smaller protests also took place in other cities.
Journalists report that several hours after the conclusion of the main protest in Montreal, police took a knee to put on gas masks, leading to booing and the throwing of projectiles from the crowd. Police immediately started firing tear gas. There are also reports of smashed windows and the use of pepper spray by police as the demonstrators scattered.
Ricochet’s Jerome Turner was at the Vancouver protest, and photojournalists AJ Korkidakis and Suzie King took photos at the Montreal and Vancouver protests, respectively. Here are some of the images they captured.
The crowd outside the Vancouver Art Gallery was estimated to reach at least 5,000 people.
Many people turned out despite COVID-19, highlighting the urgency of the moment.
One of the speakers in Vancouver.
The protest that began at Montreal’s Place des Arts was estimated to include over 5,000 people. The crowd took a knee several times to protest police racism and violence.
Gloved hands and masks were a common sight at the Montreal protest.
Many members of Indigenous Nations, themselves frequent victims of police violence, attended the Vancouver protest to express their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Solidarity came in many languages in Vancouver on Sunday.
Signs in Montreal called for the police to be abolished, alongside slogans like “Black Lives Matter” and “I can’t breathe.”
Others quoted James Baldwin and Maya Angelou.
A sign in Vancouver reads, “Police in Canada are guilty of systematic racism too!”
Physical distancing may have been difficult, but masks were a common sight.
One of the speakers in Vancouver.
The police presence was heavy in Montreal, foreshadowing the confrontations that followed the protest.
The riot squad was out in full force, wearing everything but masks.
“Love Black people like you love Black culture” read a sign in Vancouver.
“Use your privilege to fight for justice” said another.
“Je me souviens” (I remember) read a sign in Montreal.
“Our lives matter” said another.
Fists up in Vancouver.
Attendees also called for justice for missing and murdered Indigenous girls, women, and two-spirit people.
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