Mr. Chair, we cannot remain silent. George Floyd's murder by police has mobilized people across the U.S., Canada and the world against anti-black racism and hate.
In police violence in April alone, three indigenous people were killed by Winnipeg police, including 16-year-old Eishia Hudson. We must accept that systemic racism is alive and well in Canada and listen to those living it. We must end the overwhelming poverty faced by black and indigenous communities, poverty exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. We must respect the rights of indigenous people defending their lands against corporate greed, like the four first nations that stood up to Manitoba Hydro's work camp operating during a pandemic.
We must speak out against those inciting hatred and violence, including President Donald Trump. His use of military force against the American people must be denounced. Let's be clear: Donald Trump is a racist. He is a fascist. As Dr. Martin Luther King said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
We cannot remain silent.