REGINA -- Hundreds of Black Lives Matter supporters marched from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum to the legislative building in Regina on Friday.
This is the second rally for this cause to take place in the Queen City this week.
Participants were heard shouting “I can’t breathe” and “racism has got to end”.
Once the march arrived at the legislative building, individuals shared their stories of racism and injustice.
The organizers wanted to make sure their message was heard loud and clear on Friday.
“No more silence, stop being a bystander,” rally organizer Muna Deciman said. “We all need each other and our kids belong here.”
Evan Bray, the Chief of the Regina Police Service, attended the rally.
“Our positions whether we’re in the police service, whether we’re members of the community, whether we are people who are demanding change, it doesn’t matter, we can come together as a family and a community,” Bray said.
Protestors were asked to take an eight minute moment of silence to represent the eight minutes and 46 seconds a former police officer spent kneeling on George Floyd’s neck.
“What we can do today is work on the systemic racism,” Megbeni Keita, a participant at the rally, said. “In the judicial system, in the schools, in the workplace, that needs to be taken care of and that’s within our control. But working on individual racism, its hard to go into your heart and know that you’re racist, but when people know that they can’t act upon it, then that’s a good start.”
Derek Chauvin had previously been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The recently upgraded charge of second-degree murder alleges that he killed Floyd "without intent" in the course of committing assault in the third degree, according to an amended complaint.
Participants met at 10:30 a.m., and the march began around 11 a.m.
In a similar show of solidarity, hundreds gathered at the Saskatchewan Legislature on Tuesday to support the movement, and in response to the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.
SASK. GOVERNMENT WARNS ABOUT RISK OF COVID-19 AT LARGE GATHERINGS, RALLIES
The Government of Saskatchewan has warned people about the risk of COVID-19 at large gatherings or rallies.
Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province’s Chief Medical Health Officer, said these types of public gatherings increase the risk of transmitting the virus.
“While peaceful public protests are a part of our democracy, please be aware of the elevated risk to yourself and your loved ones, particularly those in your extended household who may be more vulnerable,” the government said in a release.
According to the province, many as 40 per cent of people are capable of being infected with COVID-19, without showing symptoms.
Attending large gatherings makes contact tracing difficult for health officials, in the case that someone has been exposed to the virus.
The province says several outbreaks have been linked to large gatherings here in Saskatchewan and around the world. The release also reminded people that any gatherings over 10 people are in violation of the Public Health Order.
