KW Solidarity March organizer calls turnout ‘incredibly overwhelming’
Posted Jun 4, 2020 05:58:00 PM.
It's estimated that close to 20,000 people descended on downtown Kitchener for a solidarity march on Wednesday evening.
The KW Solidarity March for Black Lives Matter was sparked by the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by Minneapolis police.
Selam Debs, Organizer, KW Solidarity March for Black Lives Matter told the Mike Farwell Show on 570 NEWS that the turn out to the march was 'incredibly overwhelming'.
“Our community has finally risen and awaken and is convicted for change and wants to create change and speak out against anti-black racism.”
Even as we continue to deal with a public health crisis, many turned their focus to a larger, long-existing, systemic issue in our society.
“Why would 20,000 people come together and put their health and their lives at risk in order to speak out against this, why would they do that? It's because it is a public health crisis to black people and it is time for us to come together to create this change,” said Debs.
She said Wednesday's march was just a first step in eradicating racism.
“It was coming out and finally stating your stance against anti-black racism, but the work that needs to be done moving forward is going to require us to continue to do it every single day.”
She said it's time for Canada to start educating its people and acknowledge its history of slavery.
