Golden residents will have the chance to march in solidarity with protesters around the world at the Unity for the People rally being held on Saturday, June 6 at noon.
The march, which will start at the park next to the cinema, will head over to spirit square where there will be a tent set up with information available. The idea is to give marchers an opportunity to educate themselves and discuss the injustices faced by Black, Indigenous, people of colour (BIPoC) and other marginalized communities in Golden and across Canada.
According to Rory Alison, one of the organizers of the events, it’s important to use the event to shine a light on localized racism and inequality in our community, instead of viewing the issue as an American only phenomenon.
“We want people to realize that these injustices happen here as well, all the time and it’s important to stay up to date despite our Golden bubble,” said Alison.
“It’s something I’ve been passionate about, bring awareness to police brutality and institutional racism in our own country, especially toward Indigenous people, because it’s happening here in Canada too and we need to raise awareness.”
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Kinnicky hopes the march will get people out of their comfort zones.
“We want people to learn about how they can prevent racism and often inadvertent prejudice in our communities with their young children especially to get them out of their bubble,” said Alison.
“If you feel uncomfortable, it’s time to analyze why, there’s a place for all of us in this and if you feel uncomfortable, then maybe you need to look deep and see why that is and how we can flip that into something meaningful.”
“Without even realizing, prejudice is often bred into us through history and generational experiences without even realizing it,” said Amber Moxam, another of the event’s organizers.
“We want people to understand how they fit into all of this and how they can help.”
The organizers have also created an Instagram page to post resources on to keep the conversation going past this Saturday.
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While the in-police-custody death of George Floyd and the protests in the States have acted as a catalyst, this rally will shine a light on what’s going on in Golden, with organizers reaching out to the Métis Nation Columbia River Society, as well as the Sikh Temple.
The event has already had an overwhelming response according to Moxam, who says that almost 200 people have expressed interest in the event.
“To me, the event has already been a success,” said Moxam.
“If even one person is moved and informed by this, it’s a win,” said Alison. “We need to open our eyes and talk to each other about these issues and not brush them under the rug, we can’t keep going forward the way things have been, both locally and nationally.”
More details about the march can be found on the events Facebook page.
