Black Lives Matter demonstration draws hundreds to downtown Saskatoon

Chants of "Black Lives Matter" and "No Justice No Peace," could be heard throughout Saskatoon's downtown as hundreds of people called for an end to police brutality and systemic racism during a Black Lives Matter march on Saturday.

The event, which Saskatoon police say was attended by roughly 1,000 people, saw participants from across Saskatoon gather to hear stories from presenters on their own experiences with racism, while hearing about the lives of People of Colour who many say died as a result of racism during interactions with police and the public.

Breonna Taylor, Regis-Korchinski-Paquet, Ahmaud Arbery, Neil Stonechild and George Floyd were just some of the names called out by the crowd during Saturday's demonstration, where organizers and participants called on institutions and people across Canada to do better.

Organizers said they want police stations, like the one the rally was held at, to be places equipped to help the community they are supposed to be serving and said there have been times when community members have gone to these organizations for help, but were blamed, dismissed or further victimized.

"The Saskatoon police are making good efforts to listen to the community and we appreciate that, but that's not enough. It's not enough." 

Participants at the rally said institutions across Canada aimed at serving the community need to examine their colonial and racist roots to ensure these institutions are safe places for People of Colour.

"They exist for the people. They are here to serve the people and the people are saying do better. We are saying do better!"

Numerous speakers took to the stage over the course of the event, which lasted at least three hours. While the event started at Kiwanis Memorial Park, the crowd would eventually make its way to the Saskatoon Police Service headquarters and City Hall before travelling back to the Park.

One of the people marching was Genet Yosef. She said she was taking part in the demonstration for her children.

"I'm a mother and I want my kids to be safe," she said.

Yosef said there needs to be "justice for everybody" and police officers need to be held accountable for their actions, adding she believes the four officers charged in George Floyd's death should not make bail.

"They cannot just kill people and get away with it," she said. "There should be a change." 

Participants at the rally also made calls to defund the police in Saskatoon, as many are saying the service's budget, which was $99 million in 2020 and $103 million in 2021, should be used to fund more community-focused supports. 

Natalya Mason, who spoke at the event and was marching through downtown Saskatoon, said people in power need to be paying attention to what people on the streets are saying.

"I want them to be aware of the fact the citizens in this community are engaged and that they are aware of the many injustices that are facing people," she said.

"I think that we all recognize that punitive measures and the criminal justice system aren't equipped to deal with centuries and centuries of discrimination and violence," she said. "If they truly want to bring down the crime rates and encourage those healthy communities, then they're going to need to reallocate some of those resources." 

Mason said she feels the conversation about defunding the police is a worthwhile one to have anywhere, noting there also needs to be a greater focus on restorative justice and Indigenous-based justice as well. 

In a previous interview with CBC, Saskatoon Police Chief Troy Cooper said he would be supportive of having other community supports funded if it results in less interactions with the justice system, but said the situation goes beyond budgets.

"It's not always about funding actually. If we're talking about structural change some of it is about legislation with an eye on the impact on the community. Some of it is about public policy," he said.

Saskatoon police were asked to not attend the event, as organizers felt having police present would cause some in attendance to feel unsafe. However, police were on scene directing traffic as the march worked its way through downtown.

Following Floyd's death in Minneapolis, the Saskatoon Police Service issued a statement on its official Facebook page, saying the service was "shocked and appalled" by the events that resulted in Floyd's death.

"The action, and inaction, of the police officers involved was unacceptable, but we offer today that they are not representative of the policing profession as a whole," the SPS said in the post.

"Our members come to work each and every day to protect and serve everyone that lives here," the post continued.

The demonstration remained peaceful throughout and some people said they feel the marches in Saskatoon and around the world are sending a message to policy makers and those in power. 

"As a African American, a black person, I feel like it's important to be here, because I need my voice to be heard. People have been protesting for a very long time and it was time for us to see a change, especially for the new generation coming up," said Dekonte Bestman, as she marched.

Asked if she feels the message is getting through, she said: "I think the world is hearing us."

"Everyone is protesting everywhere."

Two more demonstrations are planned in Saskatoon this weekend, with a Defund the Police rally and a event targeting COVID-19-related racism against Saskatoon's Chinese community slated for Sunday afternoon.