The Council of Canadians Ottawa chapter rallied against Islamophobia this afternoon.
The chapter tweeted, “Solidarity Against Islamophobia in #ottcity #RefugeesWelcome #SilenceIsViolence”
CBC reports, “In Ottawa, an estimated 300 people turned up at the Human Rights Monument, chanting and holding up signs protesting U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order that temporarily banned travel for people from seven predominately Muslim countries.”
The gathering marched from the Human Rights Monument at Laurier and Elgin down to the US Embassy on Sussex Drive.
The Ottawa Citizen notes, “The Ottawa rally attracted a diverse, mostly non-Muslim crowd demonstrating support for the six Muslim men killed in a mosque in Quebec City, protesting U.S. President Donald Trump’s ban on travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries, and calling for an overhaul to Canada’s immigration laws.”
That article highlights, “’Sometimes things reach a breaking point and we have to say, enough is enough’, Dylan Penner, one of the organizers [and Council of Canadians media officer], told the crowd to cheers. ‘There is more than one kind of power. Trump has presidential power. We have people power.'”
The newspaper also notes, “The rally began with speeches, including a call for support to declare Ottawa a ‘sanctuary city’ for migrants caught in the travel ban. Somerset ward Coun. Catherine McKenney plans to present a motion this week aimed at ensuring that undocumented immigrants have access to city services without fear of being detained or deported.”
The Council of Canadians supports the sanctuary city movement. The ‘Sanctuary City Ottawa Ville Sanctuaire’ Facebook page can be found here.
You can follow the Ottawa chapter on Twitter at @OttawaCofC
