People tore down statues of Queen Victoria and Her Majesty The Queen in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Protesters are angry about “the discovery of the remains of hundreds of children at former indigenous schools.” It took place on Canada Day, which is usually a day of pride.
They chanted, “No pride in genocide.”
The crowd cheered as people vandalized and toppled the Queen Victoria statue on legislative grounds in Winnipeg. They beheaded the statue and threw the head in the Assiniboine River.
Her Majesty had a smaller statue that stood near Queen Victoria’s statue.
Her Majesty is Canada’s head of state. Queen Victoria reigned during a time when Canada belonged to the British Empire.
Winnipeg Police Chief Danny Smyth confirmed they started an investigation:
“I’m disappointed. I know the intent of all the organizers involved was to have a peaceful demonstration, a show of solidarity … for the lost children of the residential schools. I don’t think anyone expected that to occur,” he said in a news conference on Friday.The walk on Canada Day was held to protest the country’s treatment of Indigenous people under the colonial system — and in particular the system that forced children to leave their families and attend residential schools, where abuse was common and many died.Police didn’t intervene when the statues were being toppled by a small group of people so as not to incite the crowd, Smyth said.”Whenever you have a gathering crowd of more than a thousand people, it’s a delicate situation … it’s a judgment call based on what’s happening. There was no violence going on against other people,” he said.”It’s a judgment call I support.”Police will use security footage to investigate those who were involved as well as the small number of people who spat on officers and threw rocks and paint at police vehicles, Smyth said.
Police arrested one man. However, they do not believe he had anything to do with tearing down the statues. They charged him with “mischief for allegedly damaging a vehicle in the area and assaulting a police officer.”
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