A protest in Port Hope attracted approximately 200 people in the growing movement of black lives matter on Saturday, June 13, 2020.
Protests around the world since 47-year-old George Floyd died during a police arrest in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020.
Four officers are facing charges as a result of the death of Floyd.
On June 4, 2020 approximately 700 people marched through the streets of Cobourg demanding justice and equality.
In Port Hope on Saturday, people gathered at the Port Hope Town Hall on Queen Street at 1 p.m.
Although there were no specific organizers, Co-chair of the Northumberland Coalition for Social Justice, Derek Blackadder took a vote from the crowd about walking through the streets of Port Hope.
Standing in Memorial Park across from the protest was Port Hope Police Chief Bryant Wood.
A member of Port Hope council was also at the protest.
Blackadder told Today’s Northumberland, “for the first time I can recall, people who aren’t the victims of racism are recognizing that it exists.”
Port Hope resident, Niki Walsh brought her two children aged (age 7 and 10) to stand up against racism.
“There definitely is racism in Port Hope. You can drive around and I bet you can find a Confederate flag. I know family members, or friends of family who have definitely faced it in Port Hope.
Whether it’s subtle racism or out and out racism. There is racism everywhere.”
Protesters waited for approximately 10-minutes, ironically for a Port Hope Police cruiser to lead the way up Queen Street, west on Walton Street, south on John Street and east on Augusta back to the town hall.
Shortly after the start, two protesters shouted, “we don’t forget when you sold Blue Lives Matter shirts” as the police lead them up Queen Street.
Soon after chants of black lives matter, I can’t breathe, no justice, no peace prosecute the police echoed through the streets of downtown.
Back at the town hall, a number of people spoke up about racism.
“The system is not broken, it was built that way and that’s not acceptable,” shouted one person speaking to the crowd.
Port Hope Police Sgt. Katie Andrews spoke to the crowd about the Port Hope Police Association selling Blue Lives Matter t-shirts a few years ago.
“I apologize if we offended anybody,” Andrews shouted over sporadic boos from the crowd.
“We are here today to support and stop racism. So I publicly apologize and we’re sorry if we offended anybody for that.”
Andrews told Today’s Northumberland the association stopped selling the t-shirts when they received negative feedback.
One person shouted back the police association should buy back the shirts from everyone who bought one in the town.
At the end, the group vowed to carry on the fight against racism beyond the protest on Saturday.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
