Winnipeg protesters rally against police brutality

WINNIPEG — A rally marking the International Day Against Police Brutality gathered outside Winnipeg’s police headquarters and marched downtown Sunday afternoon.

Several dozen people gathered outside the Smith Street building, some carrying signs with slogans including “Cops don’t keep communities safe,” and “Fund community, defund cops.” While marching downtown, protesters stopped outside of the Canada Life Centre, where a Winnipeg Jets game was underway, before ending the march at the Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre.

Organizer Dale Schindle said the march was to honour victims of police violence worldwide, and to inspire others to view Winnipeg’s police force with a critical lens — especially with a civic election coming up this fall.

“There is a municipal election coming up, and I want you to consider how the money is spent in your city,” Schindle said outside of the police headquarters building. “A third of the budget goes to police, and you can look at their annual reports, they do not do what they say they’re going to do. They do not keep us safe — we keep us safe.”

The International Day Against Police Brutality began in 1997 in Montreal, where marches are held yearly.

Several marchers carried signs recognizing Eisha Hudson, a 16-year-old girl who was shot by police on April 8, 2020, and 19-year-old University of Manitoba student Afolabi Stephen Opaso, who was shot and killed by police on New Year’s Eve in 2023.

An inquest into Hudson’s death is currently underway, and Opaso’s death was one of six deaths the province’s chief medical examiner announced he would be calling inquests into last month.

Schindle said what’s being done to investigate the deaths and ensure they don’t happen again isn’t enough.

“(Police) react to the symptoms instead of addressing the root causes,” he said.

“They shouldn’t be in wellness checks, mental health crises, and if you talk to police, they’ll often agree that some of the money should be put towards social causes.”

Several marchers told the Winnipeg Free Press they felt frustrated by the city’s response to instances of police violence and wanted to see the city promise a portion of its $339-million police budget — or 27 per cent of all city spending — on other resources.

“I hope it’s on the agenda,” said one protester, who declined to give her name. “I hope people are thinking about police brutality and the increased spending on police in this city, when it comes to our municipal elections. There’s so much more to be investing in right now. Our community organizations need money.”

Winnipeg’s municipal election day is Oct. 28.

No Winnipeg Police Service officers appeared to be on site at the protest or blocking traffic for protesters. A WPS spokesperson said police were aware of the event and pre-emptively shut down in-person reporting at the station while the protest was underway. The station reopened to the public about two hours later.

» Winnipeg Free Press