Hundreds gathered in Vancouver to honour Colten Boushie. This was part of a number of rallies that were held across Canada in his name.
The 22-year-old was shot dead in August 2016 while sitting in the driver’s seat of an SUV that was driven onto the farm of Gerald Stanley. Stanley was found not guilty of second-degree murder on Friday.
“We need to come together and stand up and show the family, Colten’s family, that we stand with them and say ‘this is not right,'” said Jerilynn Webster, who organized the rally.
The verdict sparked a firestorm of criticism from Aboriginal groups across Canada.
Webster said Saturday’s rally was a way of standing with Boushie’s family against a “racist system.”
“This is our time to say no more,” said Webster. “We need our settler allies to use their white privilege to help indigenous people, we need each other.”
She said the system has failed them as Indigenous people.
After the initial gathering, the crowd marched to the steps of the federal court in downtown Vancouver.
~With files from Rebecca Joseph