By Canadian Press

B.C. official condemns threats of violence against anti-racism rally organizers

Jun 22, 2021 | 2:33 PM

VICTORIA — A British Columbia official whose job it is to tackle racism is condemning threats of violence that led to the postponement of an anti-racism rally on Vancouver Island over the weekend. 

Rachna Singh, parliamentary secretary for anti-racism initiatives, says a partner with the province’s anti-racism network in Nanaimo and Ladysmith decided to cancel the car rally after organizers received threats of physical violence.

She says the threats came “from individuals” whose behaviour will not be tolerated.

Singh says in a statement the incident is further proof of why it’s so important to oppose racism and discrimination and she will attend the rally when it happens.

The government’s anti-racism partner in Nanaimo and Ladysmith is Liminal Spaces Consulting, which posted a notice on its Facebook page on Sunday that organizers are hopeful the rally can take place in the future with appropriate security measures.

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The post says the group was told the RCMP was not able to provide additional staff due to the short notice and the rally was postponed to prioritize everyone’s safety.

The group said it postponed the rally because it refused to send the message that they have been “bullied and scared into cancelling” the event. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2021. 

The Canadian Press