‘There’s power in numbers’

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This article was published 15/06/2020 (2065 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hundreds knelt on benches and on the cool grass at Princess Park Saturday as they held up their fists in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds.

That’s the length of time prosecutors have said 46-year-old George Floyd, a black man, was pinned under a Minneapolis police officer’s knee before he died last month, sparking anti-racism protests around the globe.  

Saturday evening’s protest, which was to run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., was at times sombre, other times boisterous, but always respectful as people carrying placards waited for Black Lives Matter organizers in Brandon to show up and get the event started. They never did.

As the crowds waited for the event to begin, the call went out and they marched to 18th Street and back to the park, waving their signs, cheering and chanting over and over “No justice, no peace!”

After the minutes of silence, heartfelt music (once a power source near the stage could be found) and heartbreaking stories flowed through the participants, numbering close to 300.

As he waited to perform onstage with his sister, Galli, 17-year-old Kenyi Kubari said he needed to be here.

“Racism happens everywhere,” said Kubari, who is originally from South Sudan. 

He said he has even been bullied and called the n-word.

“It’s important to bring awareness, even to small towns,” Kubari said.

For Kobi Lim, a Vincent Massey student, the emotion was raw as he spoke to the crowd about generations of Chinese Canadians being subjected to hundreds of years of racism — himself included.

“Look at the people around you. Let them know they have your support,” he said before picking up his guitar and belting out a song with lyrics such as “You can’t take us down. You can’t break us down.”

He was then joined fellow Vincent Massey student Shelby English, who took to the microphone for another song.

Once the music was done, those who attended the rally were invited to go up to the stage to speak.

“There’s power in numbers and we’re going to prove that, because it’s time, man, it’s time for us to get rid of this (racism),” said Abdul Koromah.

“It’s time to come together as one and fight police brutality, fight racism,” he said as the crowd whooped their approval.

“Continue to sign petitions, continue to post on social media “because it matters,” Tyvon Cooper said as he stood on the stage.  

“We’re all in this together. Just remember to do your part.”

This was Brandon’s third large-scale anti-racism protest in recent weeks.

On Thursday, hundreds of people marched to Princess Park from the Keystone Centre and the Healthy Living Centre for a protest organized by the activist group Brandonites Engaged Against Repression.

The Friday before, approximately 200 people took to the streets to show their support for Black Lives Matter marches across Canada and the United States.

Jazmin Davie has been to all three of the protests in Brandon.

“I think it’s important to show my support,” said Davie, as a Black Lives Matter sign rested at her feet.

“I don’t think people should be surprised (that there is racism in Brandon),” she said. “There’s racism everywhere. There is no place that is free of it.” 

» brobertson@brandonsun.com