Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling on Canadians to reject racism as protests erupt in the U.S. over the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed during a police arrest.
Trudeau said anti-Black racism is a reality in Canada as well.
“We need as a society to stand together, stand up against discrimination, be there for each other in respect but also understand that we have work to do as well in Canada,” he said.
Trudeau called on Canadians to “stand together in solidarity” against anti-Black, anti-Asian racism, or any other type of racial hate.
His comments come after the death of Floyd, who was killed by a white police officer during an arrest in Minneapolis. Criminal charges have not been laid though the officer involved was fired.
Floyd’s death has sparked days of protests — which erupted into looting and fires — calling for justice in the man’s death.
The U.S. National Guard was called in on Thursday.
U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at the demonstrators in a late-night tweet, calling them “thugs” and raising the spectre of violence against them.
“These THUGS are dishonouring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen,” Trump said.
“Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!”
Twitter hid the tweet under a warning message because it violated the platform’s rules on “glorifying violence.”
Comments