Student Association’s Coty Zachariah says students should be in solidarity with Black Lives Matter Toronto
Toronto’s black community and allies rallied on Saturday at the Toronto Police headquarters at 40 College Street. The demonstration was called by Black Lives Matter Toronto, who have camped out at the police headquarters since March 21.
Saturday’s demonstration, “was a beautiful display of community coming together to support the idea that black people deserve equal treatment,” said Coty Zachariah, First Nations, Métis and Inuit representative with the Student Association of George Brown College, which funds The Dialog.
The camp, which is being called Toronto Tent City by Black Lives Matter, was launched with a number of demands addressed to Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne, Toronto mayor John Tory and Mark Saunders, the city’s chief of police. Demands include the immediate release of the name of the officer who killed Andrew Loku—a graduate of George Brown College, a commitment to the elimination of police carding, and an overhaul of the Special Investigations Unit, the body which investigates police conduct.
“We deserve to know who (shot Luku), and why he is still on the streets.” said Pascale Diverlus, a Black Lives Matter Toronto organizer and Ryerson student, emphasizing that the Toronto Police are a public institution.
Throughout the demonstration, which shut down College Street between Bay and Yonge for close to two hours, speakers called on the crowd to hold police accountable for the killing of black men in Toronto.
La Tanya Grant spoke about the killings of Andrew Loku and her cousin, Jermaine Carby who was shot to death by police in September of 2014.
“When are we going to get upset, when are we going to get tired of this and take a stand? I’m thankful that everyone is here today standing up in solidarity with us, all different races and ages, to say that this is disgusting,” said Grant.
I’m thankful that everyone is here today standing up in solidarity with us, all different races and ages, to say that this is disgusting,” said La Tanya Grant whose cousin Jermaine Carby was killed by Peel Police. Photo: Steve Cornwell / The Dialog
“It has been an honour and privilege to stand with these black brothers and sisters here on the Haudenosaunee homeland,” said Davyn Calfchild, an indigenous activist who performed a traditional ceremony at the rally.
“Black Lives Matter, for our brothers and sisters that are still in captivity we don’t need to ask permission from the police, we should be busting them out of jail,” he continued, drawing a big cheer from the crowd.
Saturday’s demonstration solicited a number of solidarity statements from organization operating around Toronto, including the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario. In statement calling on members to support the demonstration, CUPE Ontario said, “the labour movement must not stand idly by in anti-racist struggles.”
Zachariah thinks that student leaders have a role to play in ensuring positive reforms for oppressed groups. “We can use our voices to raise awareness of issues affecting a group of students or their communities, regardless if we ourselves identify with said group. That is solidarity.”
With files from Charlotte Cameron.
