More than 250 people marched down Commercial Drive Sunday calling for an end to racism in Canada.
Harsha Walia, march organizer and member of No One Is Illegal, said the significance of walking down the East Vancouver neighbourhood is to denounce racism and hate crimes that took place in the area.
Two men accused of belonging to the B.C. faction of the white supremacist neo-Nazi group Blood and Honour are facing assault charges after allegedly setting a Filipino man on fire as he slept on a couch on Commercial Drive in 2009.
“Racism is an issue that affects our communities on a daily basis,” she said.
“It’s not a once-a-year kind of thing. We can choose to ignore it or we can take responsibility for it and do what we can to counter it.”
Hanane Benzidane, of the Philippine Women Centre, said they joined the march to stand in solidarity with other local groups to combat racist policies and acts that are happening in our own backyard.
“We will not be silenced and afraid because of that hate,” she said, adding she was surprised when she first heard the news about the alleged attack on the Filipino man.
“I was shocked to hear that in the 21st century in Vancouver, which is a city in a country that purports to be a very multicultural country, accepting and tolerant of other cultures, that there are groups that are still allowed by the justice and policing systems to still exist legally and freely in our country,” Benzidane added.
Vancouver Kingsway MP Don Davies said multiculturalism is a “joyous part of our country” and work needs to be done to stamp out intolerance.
“While we need to be positive of how far we’ve come, we still need to be aware of where we need to go,” he said.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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