The organizer of Windsor's demonstration against police brutality expected just 25 people. Instead, hundreds came down to the riverfront.
Joi Hurst-Morrison, founder and CEO of Windsor's Coalition for Justice, Unity, and Equity, wanted to show solidarity with protesters across the U.S. following the death of George Floyd.
Protesters along Windsor's riverfront on May 31, 2020. (Photo by Adelle Loiselle)
Floyd, an unarmed African American, died after a police officer in Minneapolis kneeled on his neck for eight minutes last Monday night. The officers involved have since been fired, and one officer is charged with third-degree murder.
"We've seen the murder of George Floyd, and many others and everybody was in pain," she told the gathered crowd at the foot of Ouellette Avenue before breaking down in tears. "It's hard, but we're here, and we are here to support."
"I have felt it in my heart, just as you have. A few people contacted us and asked what can we do with our pain? It's just sitting there. We keep seeing it on the news over and over again. So I said, let's do something about it," said Hurst-Morrison.
Unlike protests in American cities that have boiled over, Windsor's show of solidarity was peaceful. Participants walked west along the riverfront waving signs and chanting slogans. Once they arrived at Centennial Park, the crowd turned around and marched back to Dieppe Gardens. It was there the group turned to face the Detroit skyline and raised their signs.
Not all participants marched. Sharia Clair tailgated along the route to show her support.
"Right now, it's really important to prioritize black lives because they're the ones constantly getting discriminated [against]," she told BlackburnNews.com admitting she hopes this is the year police brutality is finally addressed.
Protesters along Windsor's riverfront on May 31, 2020. (Photo by Adelle Loiselle)
Hurst-Morrison told demonstrators Windsor Police had expressed their support for the demonstration but did not wish to participate. During the march, a few officers on bicycles were seen keeping watch over the crowd. A couple of police cruisers waited nearby at the foot of Ouellette Avenue. Aside from that, the police were absent from the demonstration.
Kylie Gillis came to the protest with a few friends and her boyfriend, Tyrell Grinage, who is black. She expressed her hope supporters would continue to be peaceful, but her anger over brutality in the U.S. was apparent.
Asked what she thought of the violence in American cities, she said, "clearly peaceful protests such as kneeling from the football players have not worked."
Gillis was referring to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, who drew anger when he chose to kneel for the American national anthem in 2016.
Hurst-Morrison also hoped the violence of American protests would not detract from the message.
"That can happen anywhere -- you get a few bad people in any city that can wreak havoc," she explained.
Grinage admits he can't help but fear any interaction with police even though he is Canadian.
"The colour of our skin is like a weapon, and we are never truly unarmed if we are black people," he said. "They're scared of the blackness, and I don't know how else they're going to understand that other than seeing all these people come together."
Participants were also mindful of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Most wore masks and attempted to socially distance.
