Thursday June 11, 2020
Ottawa (HOL) - Community and faith leaders in Ottawa held a solidarity ceremony in memorial of George Floyd on Tuesday,
Floyd died on May 25 after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on the 46-year-old's neck for nearly nine minutes as Floyd moaned in agony and yelled: "I can't breathe."
His death sparked weeks of protests and clashes with police calling with demonstrators calling on an end to racial prejudice in policing.
Sheikh Abdirahman Bashir, Sheikh Abdikarim Sugule, Abdirahman Kahin and Sheikh Muse Farah were among the speakers who spoke in English, Somali, French and Arabic.
They said that Floyd's death hits close to home because it reminded them of the murder of Abdirahman Abdi.
Abdirahman Abdi was killed in Ottawa's Hintonburg neighbourhood on July 24, 2016, after a violent arrest by two Ottawa Police officers.
The officer charged with his death will be back in court on July 6 as the Crown and defence make their case for the last time in a three-day hearing.
The case was set to resume in April but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Montsion will be facing a judge-only trial.