PrimeMinister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, took a knee in a show of solidarity with demonstratorsat a rally against anti-Black racism and police brutality in Ottawa.
According to reports, Trudeau, wearing a black mask and surrounded by bodyguards, made a surprise appearance at the "No justice = No peace" rally in front of the Parliament.
Canadian protesters chanted ¡°Stand up to Trump!¡± to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as he joined thousands at an anti-racism rally.?
Inthe Black Matter Movement, kneeling down is a gesture used to protest againstpolice brutality and the treatment of African-Americans by police.
¡°Youare either a racist or an anti-racist,¡± the speaker said.
Theprotest was one of many scheduled for Canadian cities in wake of the death ofGeorge Floyd, a Black man who died after a police officer held a knee to hisneck during an arrest, in Minneapolis.
The protests was organized by 'No Peace Until Justice' as part of a slew of protests against police brutality and systemic racism around the world, following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.?
?The crowd observed nine minutes of silence, which is the amount of time former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, kept his knee pressed on Floyd's neck.?
According to a CNN report, the?Ottawa Public Health asked all the people who attended the protest to wash their hands, clean their belongings and put their clothes in the wash, all to help minimize the spread of the coronavirus.
WhileTrudeau did not speak at the event, he clapped and nodded along with some ofthe other speakers.
Earlierthis week, PM Justin Trudeau took a 21-second pause before answering a questionabout Trump¡¯s threats to call in the military to respond to U.S. protesters.
Trudeau,after the long pause said that Canada was watching in ¡°horror andconsternation.¡± Trudeau avoided naming Trump in his response and shifted the focus upon race relations and tensions in Canada. In all fairness, the reporter did ask him to simply share a message in case he wasn't willing to answer.