Ella Paulin The Eastern Door
The vigil also saw a drum performance by the Pow Wow Rangers and testimonies from health care support workers, shining a light on the persistent discrimination that Indigenous women face in trying to obtain medical care. Afterwards, attendees began to light candles, take up signs, and assemble for the march.
As the group moved from Cabot Square to Place du Canada, protestors danced and sang out in support of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and gender-diverse people (MMIWG2S+), calling on the Canadian government to do more to protect Indigenous women and their communities.
Page called on the government, in particular, to make systemic changes like providing housing for Indigenous people who need shelter, combatting the practice of “man-camps” that are established around resource extraction projects and endanger Indigenous women, and ensuring that women who are newly arrived to cities like Montreal are supported so they are not vulnerable to traffickers.
“We need to uproot the systems that are continuing colonization,” Page said. “That looks like providing shelter. It looks like providing housing. It looks like actually addressing equity within our society. Because only when we have equity can all these other crises begin to calm down.”
Thanks for signing up!
Ella Paulin The Eastern Door
In an unplanned moment, the protestors crossed paths with a pro-Palestinian demonstration that also took place on October 4. While the two groups were intended to pass each other on opposite corners of the street, many took the opportunity to pause and mix together, with chants like “From Turtle Island to Palestine, genocide is a crime!”
The protest, which continued through Montreal’s business district, reached Place du Canada around 5:30 p.m. The demonstration closed with a prayer and a handful of spontaneous speeches from community members who felt moved to share their personal experiences and gratitude towards the crowd.