Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might be the first world leader to kneel at an anti-black racism protest
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might be the first world leader to kneel at an anti-black racism protest
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau kneeled during a protest against racism and police brutality in Ottawa.
The event was organized by No Peace Until Justice at Ottawa's Parliament's Peace Tower, and comes in the wake of the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in Minneapolis police custody last week.
Floyd's death has led to dozens of protests in the U.S. and around the world Trudeau's attendance shows a stark contrast between him and President Trump who has called for law enforcement to take aggressive measures against protesters.
When asked earlier this week about Trump's threats to call in the military to respond to U.S. protesters Trudeau notably took a 20 second pause before saying that Canada was watching in "horror and consternation."
"It is a time for us as Canadians to recognize that we, too, have our challenges," Trudeau said Wednesday. "There is systemic racism in Canada.Chantel Moore a 26-year-old indigenous woman was shot by Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Edmundston, New Brunswick
Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa "Over the past weeks we've seen a large number of Canadians suddenly awaken to the fact that discrimination is a lived reality for far too many of our fellow citizens."
