Organizers of a rally against anti-black racism on Sunday issued a challenge to the thousands of people who gathered, asking them to speak up when they encounter racism.
Asiyah Robinson, one of three organizers, told the crowd the event was about listening to black voices and turning outrage into action.
鈥淚 want you to feel committed. I鈥檓 holding you to this. If you see something, I want you to remember this moment. And if you don鈥檛 feel comfortable engaging, learn how,鈥� Robinson said.
Centennial Square overflowed with people attending the Peace Rally for Black Lives, with some spilling onto surrounding sidewalks, streets and an adjacent parkade.
Robinson, along with Vanessa Simon and Pam Buisa 鈥� all black women living in Victoria 鈥� organized the rally.
The crowd鈥檚 cheers and chants could be heard from blocks away as a series of speakers recounted their often difficult, dangerous and demeaning experiences as people with black skin.
Encouraged by the speakers, the crowd roared 鈥渂lack lives matter鈥� repeatedly. They yelled 鈥渟hame鈥� when they heard first-person stories about mistreatment, threats and physical harm.
Many people in the crowd held homemade signs saying, 鈥淏lack lives matter鈥� and 鈥淚f all lives mattered, we wouldn鈥檛 be here.鈥� Others held up messages about defunding or abolishing the police. With COVID-19 pandemic warnings still in effect, most people in the crowd wore a face covering and made an effort to not get too close to other people.
Rally organizers told the crowd they were gathered to stand up against police brutality and anti-black racism.
Simon, who organized a similar event last Monday, said she threw together the first rally at the last minute to connect with others in Victoria鈥檚 black community at a time of widespread grief and outrage sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
鈥淚 have always felt alone. I鈥檝e always felt that belonging was challenging for me,鈥� said Simon, who told the crowd she was adopted and grew up in a white family in White Rock.
鈥淚 dealt with racism inside my home, as well as at school,鈥� she said.
Buisa, a rugby player who moved to Victoria from Ottawa-Gatineau to pursue her Olympic dream to represent Canada, said Monday鈥檚 rally was the first protest she had ever attended.
鈥淭he reason for that is because I was scared. I was scared to stand up publicly to say I鈥檓 black and I鈥檓 proud,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 be scared anymore. ... We cannot be okay with what鈥檚 happening.鈥�
Buisa said she wears the maple leaf every day in her training with Rugby Canada.
鈥淏ut first of all, I wear my skin. I can鈥檛 detach myself from that.鈥�
Robinson, who grew up in Freeport, Grand Bahama, led an exercise to illustrate common injustices experienced by black people and people of colour. She asked everyone in the crowd to raise a fist if they had ever seen videos of violence perpetrated against people who look like them, if someone had ever questioned their abilities because of the colour of their skin and if they鈥檇 ever been marked as suspicious and followed in a store.
Robinson asked those with their fists down to look around to see how many people around them could relate to those experiences.
She said those who had never experienced racism couldn鈥檛 understand what it feels like, but 鈥測ou can do something about it.鈥�
Organizers asked on- and off-duty police not to attend the event, because their presence can be triggering for many in marginalized communities.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not to say that we鈥檙e not going to have a conversation with them, because it needs to be had. We will be inviting them some other day, but today is not that day,鈥� Robinson said.
Police closed a section of Pandora Avenue, Douglas Street and Government Street to give the crowd space to spill into the road. A few officers were stationed where the roads were blocked off and there was a police presence in the area, but officers largely kept a distance from Centennial Square.
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Thousands of people are expected to gather at Centennial Square Sunday afternoon for a rally to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Peace Rally for Black Lives is also billed as a vigil for George Floyd, a black man who was killed by a white Minneapolis police officer on May 25. Derek Chauvin, the officer who kneeled on Floyd鈥檚 neck for nearly nine minutes while Floyd said he couldn鈥檛 breathe, and witnesses begged him to stop, has been charged with second-degree murder.
Video footage of Floyd鈥檚 death has sparked protests across the U.S., Canada and the world against police brutality and the killing of unarmed black people at the hands of police officers.
The Victoria event鈥檚 three organizers said the rally is a chance to bring the black community in the city together and a call to action for allies.
鈥淭his is an opportunity for me to be present within my blackness and my blackness alone. It鈥檚 an opportunity for me to meet my community. It鈥檚 an opportunity for me to mourn with my community,鈥� said co-organizer Asiyah Robinson.
Vanessa Simon organized a similar rally and vigil on Monday and was amazed at the crowd that turned out. She said Sunday鈥檚 rally sends a message to the black community that they鈥檙e not alone and is a reminder to others that racism exists in Victoria.
鈥淓ven though things are less aggressive here, racism still happens here. And there is a black community here,鈥� she said.
Organizers are asking people to wear black for solidarity or white for peace.
While many of the protests in the U.S. have seen hostile interactions between police and protesters, organizers Robinson, Simon and Pam Buisa said they鈥檝e spoken to Victoria Police Chief Del Manak, who expressed his support for the event.
鈥淗e reached out and it was amazing to see that show of support,鈥� Robinson said.
But they鈥檝e let the chief know they鈥檇 prefer if he didn鈥檛 attend the rally, because his presence even out of uniform could be triggering for people.
鈥淲hat it came down to was that this event is for black people. It鈥檚 for Indigenous people and for those marginalized communities that have constantly been oppressed. And sometimes, yes, by police, and by the systemic racism, and by the problems that we have in society that these institutions promote,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淎nd so, it was important for us to make sure that this event is honouring black voices, and therefore making blacks feel safe, and therefore ensuring that police are not involved.鈥�
Manak said he personally reached out to organizers to gauge their comfort level with him attending.
There appeared to be a miscommunication between organizers and the police chief, who was under the impression organizers were happy for him to attend as long as he was out of uniform.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something that I believe quite strongly in. But I didn鈥檛 want to do it without their blessing and support,鈥� Manak said.
He said as a south Asian man he has been subjected to racism and discrimination throughout his life, although he said it happens less frequently now than in the past, in part due to changes in society and because he鈥檚 in a position of power.
鈥淏ut I still have it when I鈥檓 not in uniform and people don鈥檛 know what I do for a living,鈥� Manak said.
That lived experience gives him a different perspective that many police leaders don鈥檛 have, he said.
Manak said he hoped to listen to and learn from the community in order to turn this moment in history into a learning opportunity for the department.
鈥淗ow does that translate into what I take back to our organization, and what is going to change? And I鈥檝e got some ideas,鈥� he said, adding he plans to speak on the issue at the Greater Victoria Police Advisory Committee meeting next week.
As with all large protests, uniformed police officers will be present 鈥渢o ensure the protest is safe, peaceful, and lawful,鈥� Manak said.
The rally is scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Centennial Square.
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