Trudeau did not speak at the event, although he clapped and nodded along with some of the other speakers, including the moment the speaker claimed he had no middle ground about racism. At another point, he shouted “Amen” along with other protesters, after the speaker discussed promoting love and justice.
Some in the crowd shouted at him to oppose US President Donald Trump, CTVnews reported.
Although many celebrities have expressed their support for the protesters in the U.S., the support of world leaders has been muffled, despite global protests with the slogan Black Lives Matter.
The crowd had a minute of silence for nearly nine minutes – how long former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin had kept his knee pressed against Floyd’s neck. During this silence, many also knelt.
Trudeau joined them.
The Ottawa Police Service told CTVnews in a statement that the march went smoothly. “We respect the rights of our residents and community members to speak when they see injustice and when we understand the deep pain and frustration of the community,” they said. “Our role is to provide a safe space for people to mourn and be heard.”
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