A protest was held in the parking lot of a Canadian Tire location in east Regina after an indigenous man live streamed video on social media of a confrontation with a store employee, who had accused him of stealing.
About 40 people stood in a circle, praying and smudging, during the peaceful protest Friday morning. Protesters also marched back and forth outside the front doors of the store, but they were not blocking customers.
"It's not too much to ask for – respect," Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron said at the rally.
Cameron spoke about the economic impact of First Nations shoppers, and said stores must do better.
The demonstration comes after Kamao Cappo live streamed an incident earlier this week, in which a Canadian Tire employee accused him of stealing and ordered him out of the store. Cappo refused and says he was then pushed against some shelves and forced out.
Canadian Tire has since apologized for the incident, saying in a statement that the company is communicating directly with Cappo, and hopes to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.
Police say they are investigating the incident, and have gathered information, including video.
On Thursday, there was a heavy police presence at the same Canadian Tire location after a call was received about a gun threat. The incident prompted the temporary closure of the store.
Police say they are investigating a possible connection between the two incidents.
