Protesters gathered Sunday evening in downtown Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»to speak up about racial injustice and the recent death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
Additionally, Canadians have been protesting the , a black Toronto woman whose mother says the 29-year-old woman was fatally pushed off a balcony by authorities.
An estimated 3,500 people took part in the protest, held outside the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Art Gallery.
Vancouver's gathering was peaceful, with many attendees wearing face masks and at times attempting some degree of physical distancing. Reports indicate some masks were being made available to attendees who did not have one.
The Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»chapter of Black Lives Matter said they did not organize the event, but they "stand in solidarity, with deep gratitude." They identified Jacob Callender-Prasad as the organizer, who , saying:
"We need a call to arms it’s time we stand up and unite and support our brothers and sister in the states we can’t sit by and watch more of our people continue to die to cops who don’t deserve to hold the badge and serve and protect the law cannot should not and must not pick and choose who they want to serve and protect."
The event was also organized by , who hopes the protest could serve as a powerful example of a way to create change.
One highlight of the protest included a minute of silence, in which protesters held their fists raised in solidarity.
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Police Chief Adam Palmer expressed his gratitude following Sunday evening's protest:
TY for exercising your right to lawful at the !
— Adam Palmer (@ChiefPalmer)
TY to our officers for your professionalism & committment to !
Everyone went home safely in
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Police say no arrests were made Sunday in relation to the protest.
Here are some images from Sunday's protest in Vancouver:
