Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stopped in London, Ont. Sunday afternoon ahead of planned public events to honor the Afzaal family, ahead of the first anniversary of the deadly attack.
Early in the afternoon, Trudeau participated in a roundtable discussion with Oakridge High School students.
Trudeau was later joined by London Mayor Ed Holder, members of Afzaal’s family and Transport Minister Omar Algabra, and attended a rally that began this afternoon.
Holder introduced Trudeau, who then took to the stage in front of Oakridge High School in front of a crowd of approximately 2,000 to talk about the Afzaal family’s memories and the dangers of Islamophobia.
Trudeau said millions of Canadians face micro-aggression and racism in Canada every day, adding that the situation needs to change. He said his government had taken action to tackle racism in Canada, but there was still work to be done.
“We have to be there to make it clear that this is unacceptable, this is wrong,” he said. “We have to act, too.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the stage at Oakridge High School to speak before a march to the London Muslim Mosque on June 5, 2022 in honor of the Afzaal family. (Jim Knight / CTV News London) During his speech, Trudeau said he had sent a strong message to see so many people at the rally and that Canada’s diversity and openness is what makes Canada great.
“Canadians are with you everywhere because Islamophobia is not just an attack on Muslims – it is an attack on all Canadians,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau also spoke about the harm and division of misinformation and said that everyone should speak and call for it. He said words matter because they lead to action, and action is what leads thousands of people to gather in London on Sunday for the Afzaal family.
“Words matter,” Trudeau said. “Words still matter.”
“We are all with you. We are all Muslims in Canada. We are all members of Afzaal’s family in Canada,” Trudeau added.
After the speeches, there will be a community-led procession through the streets of London, starting at Oakridge High School and ending at London’s Muslim Mosque.
Approximately 2,000 people attended a rally at Oakridge High School to honor Afzaal’s family on June 5, 2022. (Nick Paparella / CTV News London) According to the City of London, traffic will be affected on the Sunday before the march.
Oxford Street between Hyde Park Road and Wonderland Road is now closed. There will also be no parking at the school.
Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna and her 74-year-old grandmother Talat Afzaal, died after police said they were intentionally hit by a truck during an evening walk on June 6, 2021, in London.
The family’s nine-year-old boy was seriously injured but survived.
A 21-year-old man faces four counts of first-degree murder in what police say is a hate attack. The case has not yet gone to court.
– With files from The Canadian Press
This is an evolving story…
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