Over 100 people gathered for a vigil at Place-des-Arts in downtown Montreal Tuesday in solidarity with the indigenous women of Val-d’Or who claim they were sexually assaulted by provincial police officers.
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The vigil was organized by several human rights groups, including Idle No More, Quebec Native Women and Amnesty International.
Nakuset, executive director for the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal, helped organize the vigil and said she does believe the women who came forward, despite the Crown Prosecutor not laying charges against any Sûreté du Québec (SQ) officers.
“They spoke their truth and they were ignored,” Nakuset said.
READ MORE: No charges against SQ officers for alleged sexual abuse
“The charges are not being put forward and they need to have their day in court. They might feel isolated in the communities now and they may feel devastated by this, but hopefully they see…we believe them.”
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Nakuset vowed the organizations will keep adding pressure to change how authorities interact with indigenous women and stem systemic racism against First Nations people in the province.