'A message that needs to go out': Brandonites rally against racism
About 50 people gathered in Brandon, Man., to wave bright signs and march against racism and hate at a demonstration on Wednesday afternoon.
Scott Blyth, chair of the Brandon-Westman chapter of the Council of Canadians — a social-action organization — said the rally was organized in response to violence earlier this month in Charlottesville, Va. He said a concerning trend of hate and racism has rippled across Canada and the United States in recent months.
"It's triggered off a bit of a wave of concern and there's a lot of people that are upset by what's happened," he told CBC News before the rally. He said those with hateful or racist views have dominated news cycles recently.
"We want to maybe speak out or have a voice and a response to what's been going on lately."
In Charlottesville, a mix of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and other far-right extremists assembled to protest the city's decision to remove a towering statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee earlier this month.
Heather Heyer, 32, was killed when a man plowed his car into a crowd of counter-protesters.
'People of Brandon have good hearts'
In Brandon, supporters marched along a major city street with bright signs as vehicles horns honked in support on Wednesday.
Olivia Erickson came with a group of friends to march.
"We thought it would be a really good idea to come together today and enjoy ourselves in a place where we feel safe and belong," she said. "Having everyone coming together and be like one is awesome, I think."
"I'm thrilled to see this many people," said William Cliff, the Anglican bishop of the diocese of Brandon.
Leaders from all of Brandon's Anglican churches marched in the rally, he said, adding it's important to stand up against racism of any kind.
"I'm not surprised," Cliff said of the turnout. "The people of Brandon have good hearts and they understand this is a message that needs to go out."
'Let's speak out against racism'
"Here's a chance to sort of stand up and say, 'I, or we, are certainly in the category of being non-racist and we don't mind saying that,'" Blyth said before Wednesday's rally.
He said he was humbled by the turnout for the event, which he added was a chance to show the extent of Brandon's diversity and multiculturalism, with people of many different backgrounds at the rally.
He believes Brandon is a caring city and others support the group's view.
"Probably the vast majority of people are kind, caring, considerate, peace-loving [people] ... that don't have a white-supremacist bone in their bodies," he said.
