Black Lives Matter – Youth rally in St. Catharines

Hundreds of youth held a Black Lives Matter rally today in St. Catharines as part of global protests against racism and police killings.

The peaceful demonstration started at the Salem Chapel British Methodist Episcopal Church. The church, Harriet Tubman church, is a national historic monument where the late Harriet Tubman worshipped and helped runaway slaves from the US who escaped through the Underground Railroad.

Niagara Regional Police blocked traffic on the route for safety of participants during the peaceful rally.

Speeches in front of the municipal building condemned the killing of Blacks, Indigenous people, colored minorities by police.

Speakers addressed institutional racism in Canada including the discredited residential schools and removal of Indigenous children from their families for adoption.

The chants include: Black Lives Matter, I can’t breathe, no justice no peace and no racist police.

The rally was part of global condemnation of the death of George Floyd, Black American, who died in police custody when a white police officer kneeled on his neck for 8 minutes 46 seconds.