Scuffle cuts short vigil for missing Edmonton woman
A vigil Sunday evening for a missing Edmonton woman was cut short when a scuffle broke out and one person was put in an ambulance for treatment.
"We are here for Nadia!" shouted Salwa Atwi, as the vigil at downtown's Churchill Square for her missing daughter Nadia Atwi slipped into screams and accusations.
Shortly after the vigil started, a scuffle broke out between members of Atwi's family, including her husband, Ali Fneich.
The crowd of more than 100 people scattered when the brawl began.
Candles smashed to the ground, a car alarm wailed and dogs used in the week-long search for Atwi barked and whimpered.
The vigil, planned by friends and family, ended within minutes of starting.
"The family is passing through hard emotions," Fneich said when he was asked about the scuffle.
More shouting and confrontations erupted before police arrived. Emergency crews put one woman into an ambulance for treatment of minor injuries.
Fneich said he understands people are emotional about his wife's disappearance, but called for unity as the search continues.
"It's not time to let the emotions take us to the other side," Fneich said. "We have to bring our efforts more tight together to find out where is that wife, that daughter, that mom, that sister. We have to find Nadia Atwi.
"That's where we have to focus and not focus on emotional things."
Atwi, 32, disappeared on Dec. 8. She was last seen early in the morning at her home in northeast Edmonton, near 48th Street and 146th Avenue.
Her car was discovered in a ditch at Rundle Park later that day, with her cellphone left inside.
Police, search and rescue teams, as well as hundreds of volunteers scoured the park and its surrounding neighbourhoods.
The search quickly expanded to include south Edmonton, Sherwood Park and St. Albert.
Atwi is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and requires medication, her family said. She has disappeared from her home in the past but always returned.
"We never, ever recorded her missing," her mother said at Sunday's vigil.
"She has her ups and downs, but we should not forget, on the other hand, that whatever she was dealing with, the struggle made her stronger.
"She went to university, she had a degree, she did so many things."
Atwi's mother said she is hopeful her daughter will be found safe.
"I want Nadia to be alive and that's what I'm holding onto," she said, before turning directly to the CBC News camera recording the interview.
"What happened to you, it brought our city together," she said, addressing her daughter. "Everybody in Edmonton loves you and they're sending you messages and they're just wishing for your safe return.
"Don't be ashamed. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Please, if you are somewhere, please come to us."
Atwi weighs 170 to 180 pounds and is about five-foot-eight inches tall. She has long, dark brown hair and brown eyes.
She was wearing dark clothing and a hijab the morning she disappeared.
She requires medication and may appear confused, her family said.
The Edmonton Police Service is investigating Atwi's disappearance. Anyone with information is asked to call the EPS non-emergency line at 780-423-4567.
