'Too many people living with anti-Black racism': Trudeau, Canadians remember George Floyd a year after his death at the hands of police
A year after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly restated his government's commitment to fighting systemic racism
"Mr. Floyd’s death was a tragedy and it was a reminder that there are still too many people living with anti-Black racism and injustice, including here in Canada," Trudeau said.
"Our government is working with Black communities across the country to make sure nobody is left behind. We will continue to take real action to fight systemic racism and create more opportunities for Black Canadians and for everyone."
Many are also remembering Regis Korchinski-Paquet this week, who died after she fell from her 24th-floor balcony on May 27, 2020 in Toronto, while police were in her apartment. On Monday, hundreds of people gathered at Queen's Park as a memorial for Korchinski-Paquet.
"It's really critical for people to be gathering today to remember Regis, but also to mark that after one year there has not been any accountability, any responsibility taken by the Toronto Police Service for the death of Regis," Beverly Bain, a member of No Pride in Policing Coalition, said to reporters on Monday.
Several people in Canada took to social media on Tuesday to honour Floyd and Korchinski-Paquet, calling out racial injustice and police brutality.
One year from the day George Floyd was murdered, @RSMCanada & Tier Zero present #Remember929 - an ensemble of Black Canadians sharing their perspectives on the Black experience.
Please visit https://t.co/WbMlctqXrM to donate to the @GFMFoundation and The Black Solidarity Fund. pic.twitter.com/R3ggmSJyhs— Donnovan Bennett (@donnovanbennett) May 25, 2021
Your reminder that 1 year ago today, a police officer (Derek Chauvin) kneeled on #GeorgeFloyd's neck for 9 minutes & 29 seconds until he died.
9 minutes & 29 seconds: For the world to wake up. For the world to demand change.
9 minutes & 29 seconds that will reverberate forever.— Naheed Dosani (@NaheedD) May 25, 2021
1 year since George Floyd. 1 year since Regis Korchinski-Paquet. The fight for Black Lives is far from over. Police brutality is an ongoing threat to the safety of our communities. We need to hold our cities, provinces, countries to account.
— Huda Idrees (@hidrees) May 25, 2021
A year ago today, #GeorgeFloyd was murdered by police, in two days it will be a year marking the murder of #RegisKorchinskiPaquet. Two people who would not be hashtags if police would stop murdering Black people.
— Joy Henderson (@Joyhenderson78) May 25, 2021
One year ago. One life stolen in 9 minutes. One tragedy multiplied over centuries. One more reason to END hate, oppression, racial injustice. Remembering is not enough.#GeorgeFloyd #icantbreathe #BLM #RacialJusticeToday #Equity #Equality #Humanity
— Abdu Sharkawy (@SharkawyMD) May 25, 2021
One year ago #GeorgeFloyd was murdered. Lots has changed in a year, & more work needs to be done. Let's continue to have the conversations, inspire & spark real actions & change. Let's continue to work till all of us have equal respect. #BLM #endracism #Respect 🤎🖤🤍👊 pic.twitter.com/rIDIJofjyD
— Kareem Bonner (@KareemLBonner) May 25, 2021
Today is the 1 year anniversary of George Floyd's death and I still have unsettling feelings about the event and its aftermath...🤔😔
— Kée (@kees_kaleido) May 25, 2021
George Floyd and Regis Korchinski-Paquet’s deaths were both a result of systematic police violence against black folks.
We must honour them by striving towards defunding, and finally abolishing the police, as well as bettering our mental health care system.— elle thee socialist (@thiccbookthotty) May 25, 2021
Rest in peace, George Floyd! Should have been alive and well today. A life had to be lost for the system to recognise they were cultivating a criminal... Very sad! Didn't have to be this way at all. #BlackLivesMatter
— Fadi 🇨🇦 🇲🇺 She/Elle- belle comme une poubelle (@TiMoudou) May 25, 2021
Real justice is #GeorgeFloyd with us right now. Playing with his daughter. Living his life. Accountability is not justice.
— Ahmed Ali (@MrAhmednurAli) May 25, 2021
#onthisday 1 year ago, George Floyd's murder changed our lives — in breaking our hearts, it pushed the #RacialJustice movement to the forefront. Today I honor and commemorate his memory — #restinpower, George Floyd. pic.twitter.com/x5F7aeoej3
— Ritu Bhasin (@Ritu_Bhasin) May 25, 2021