A pair of local teens, inspired by other marches in Canada and the U.S. are planning their own Black Lives Matter event in North Bay Saturday.
Kaiden Peldjack, 17, and Kile George 18, say the march will honour "the recent murders of George Floyd, Regis Korchinsky-Paquet, Ahmaud Arbery, and the countless other victims of police brutality that is a result of institutionalized racism."
The march will begin at Rollie Fischer Field at 1 p.m. and protestors will make their way to city hall; where the march will be ending at approximately 2:20.
"This issue strikes a chord in our hearts because both of us are young people of colour who have both experienced racism. It is time for northern communities to step up and show their support. Black Lives Matter. They always have and they always will.
"We've seen the protests happening in Minneapolis, New York and other places in the States and recently in Toronto and Ottawa," George told BayToday. "It sort of feels empowering and it pushed me and my friend to organize a protest here because it feels like there is something that can be done for the injustice that is happening."
George, a grade 12 student at St. Joseph Scollard Hall, hopes to get a few hundred people to join them and has set up a Facebook page.
"Obviously the police brutality and the systematic oppression of black people has been going on for a very long time, but I think now in 2020 with social media I think oppression can no longer hide from the public eye," Peljack, told CKAT. "So now it's not what can we do, it's what do we have to do to change this."
"In regards to the current COVID-19 epidemic, all participants will be reminded to abide by safety measures put in place by the Canadian government, including but not limited to: remaining six feet apart, wearing a mask and gloves, and regularly sanitizing their hands. Should any who wish to participate in the protest arrive without masks or gloves, they will be provided with them on-site prior to the commencement of the march."
See: Tips on staying safe while publicly demonstrating
It appears a second separate march will occur later that evening at the waterfront at 6 p.m. BayToday is presently getting details and will update when more information is available.
