'Screaming for change': Repentigny, Que. residents demand action on racial profiling at sit-in
'They murdered him before my eyes,' says mother of man shot by police
Holly Cabrera · CBC News · Posted: Aug 02, 2022 11:08 AM ET | Last Updated: August 2
A year after Repentigny police fatally shot Andy Stark's cousin, Jean René Junior Olivier, Black residents of the Montreal suburb are reeling.
"It's the way that I lost him," Stark said. "It's not everyday that you lose a cousin, a family member, by the police force. It's not easy."
People gathered for a sit-in at Repentigny City Hall to commemorate Olivier, Monday evening, for a second time. He died on Aug. 1, 2021, after his mother, Marie-Mireille Bence, called police to her home for help when he was experiencing a mental health crisis.
The event coincided with Emancipation Day, which celebrates the British Empire officially abolishing slavery in 1834.
Bence says she will never forgive herself for calling the police.
"Far from helping him, they committed the worst," Bence said to a crowd. "They murdered him before my eyes."
"I still feel empty [without my son]."
'Enough talk'
Arlette Yashima, an organizer of the sit-in, says she had her fair share of racial profiling experiences while living in Repentigny for the past two years.
She says when she crosses paths with a police car, she knows she "will probably be stopped."
"We are screaming for change. We are scared for our own safety," she said. "I need to feel safe enough to know that if I have kids, my kids will be safe…. I don't want to feel like I have to move."
Repentigny police have documented tensions with Black residents.
Since 2017, at least nine complaints filed to the Human Rights Commission involved the Repentigny police force.
Alain Babineau, a director of the Red Coalition — a lobby group aiming to eliminate racial profiling in Canada —is calling for the "Quebec government to take over the police force."
He says citizens sent a letter to the minister of public safety in 2019, calling for Repentigny police to be placed under trusteeship.
"There's enough talk. There's enough research. There's enough discussion. We want some actions," he said.
In September 2021, Repentigny police published an action plan, grounded in diversity, equity and inclusion goals, to implement over the next five years.
The 13-page report mentions racial profiling four times and twice it describes the practice as "allegations" made against the force.
"There is no acknowledgement in that report that racial profiling even exists," Babineau said. "They want to get ahead of the curve to deal with allegations of racial profiling."
For Stark, little will change in the suburb unless the police "really get to know the community."
But he won't hold his breath.
"Once I see it, I will believe it. But for now, I don't believe nothing."
Holly Cabrera · CBC News · Posted: Aug 02, 2022 11:08 AM ET | Last Updated: August 2
A year after Repentigny police fatally shot Andy Stark's cousin, Jean René Junior Olivier, Black residents of the Montreal suburb are reeling.
"It's the way that I lost him," Stark said. "It's not everyday that you lose a cousin, a family member, by the police force. It's not easy."
People gathered for a sit-in at Repentigny City Hall to commemorate Olivier, Monday evening, for a second time. He died on Aug. 1, 2021, after his mother, Marie-Mireille Bence, called police to her home for help when he was experiencing a mental health crisis.
The event coincided with Emancipation Day, which celebrates the British Empire officially abolishing slavery in 1834.
Bence says she will never forgive herself for calling the police.
"Far from helping him, they committed the worst," Bence said to a crowd. "They murdered him before my eyes."
"I still feel empty [without my son]."
'Enough talk'
Arlette Yashima, an organizer of the sit-in, says she had her fair share of racial profiling experiences while living in Repentigny for the past two years.
She says when she crosses paths with a police car, she knows she "will probably be stopped."
"We are screaming for change. We are scared for our own safety," she said. "I need to feel safe enough to know that if I have kids, my kids will be safe…. I don't want to feel like I have to move."
Repentigny police have documented tensions with Black residents.
Since 2017, at least nine complaints filed to the Human Rights Commission involved the Repentigny police force.
Alain Babineau, a director of the Red Coalition — a lobby group aiming to eliminate racial profiling in Canada —is calling for the "Quebec government to take over the police force."
He says citizens sent a letter to the minister of public safety in 2019, calling for Repentigny police to be placed under trusteeship.
"There's enough talk. There's enough research. There's enough discussion. We want some actions," he said.
In September 2021, Repentigny police published an action plan, grounded in diversity, equity and inclusion goals, to implement over the next five years.
The 13-page report mentions racial profiling four times and twice it describes the practice as "allegations" made against the force.
"There is no acknowledgement in that report that racial profiling even exists," Babineau said. "They want to get ahead of the curve to deal with allegations of racial profiling."
For Stark, little will change in the suburb unless the police "really get to know the community."
But he won't hold his breath.
"Once I see it, I will believe it. But for now, I don't believe nothing."
Recent
Groups to kick off Black History Month with measures to fight racism
January 31st, 2023
PROFILAGE RACIAL: «LA CAQ DOIT TENIR SES PROMESSES», ESTIME LA COALITION ROUGE
January 26th, 2023
Coalition alleges contempt of court against Longueuil
January 24th, 2023
PROFILAGE RACIAL: UNE PLAINTE OFFICIELLE DÉPOSÉE CONTRE LA VILLE DE LONGUEUIL
January 23rd, 2023
Chief Coroner orders public inquiry into death of Nicous Spring
January 22nd, 2023
Archive
2023
January
Family of Montreal man killed while unlawfully jailed wants systemic racism inquiryLa famille de l’homme demande une enquête sur le racisme systémiqueSystemic racism inquiry called for by family of man who died after being pepper-sprayed at Bordeaux prisonDétenu mort à la prison de Bordeaux: une coalition exige plus de transparence sur le milieu carcéralUN GROUPE ANTIRACISTE RÉCLAME UNE ENQUÊTE PUBLIQUE SUR LA MORT DU DÉTENU DE BORDEAUXRights group seeks public inquiry into death of man in Montreal jailLobby group seeks public inquiry in Montreal man's jail deathAnti-racism group calls for release of video in connection with Montreal jail deathCivil rights group calls for inquiry into death of illegally jailed 21-year-old black manUne coalition réclame la publication de la vidéo de l’interventionLobby group seeks public inquiry, release of video in Montreal man’s jail deathAnti-racism group claims Quebec told Longueuil police to ignore court order on racial profilingAllison Hanes: Montreal prison death demands urgent answersRed Coalition: Quebec ministry told Longueuil police force to defy court order on racial profilingQuebec told Longueuil police to disregard court order on racial profiling, says anti-racism groupCivil rights group accuses Quebec of covering up race-based police dataQue s’est-il passé à Bordeaux ?Public inquiry ordered into jail death of illegally detained Montreal manPublic inquest to be held into death of man in Montreal jailChief coroner orders public inquiry into death of 21-year-old illegally detained at Bordeaux jailCoroner orders public inquiry into Montreal man's jail deathIl y aura une enquête publique du coroner sur la mort de Nicous SpringRed Coalition calling for investigation into systemic racism in Quebec jailsChief Coroner orders public inquiry into death of Nicous SpringPolice union head tells Montreal's new chief: staffing shortages 1st, community policing 2ndPROFILAGE RACIAL: UNE PLAINTE OFFICIELLE DÉPOSÉE CONTRE LA VILLE DE LONGUEUILCoalition alleges contempt of court against LongueuilPROFILAGE RACIAL: «LA CAQ DOIT TENIR SES PROMESSES», ESTIME LA COALITION ROUGEGroups to kick off Black History Month with measures to fight racism
2022
January
February
April
Quebec study exposes dramatic increase in police fundingNew initiative asks Montreal, Ottawa residents to film police interventionsMontrealers to have a say in hiring next police chief'We need to humanize the police': Que. police association aims to improve public image with new campaignVideo shows Montreal police officer pushing homeless man into concrete block; SPVM investigatingSPVM investigation follows video appearing to show abuse by two Montreal police officers
May
June
Babineau leaves City position to head Red CoalitionAlain Babineau joins The Red Coalition, dedicated to eliminating racial profiling, systemic racism in MontrealBill 21: A petition to amend Quebec’s secularism law needs 500 signatures by FridayYOUNG LOCAL BLACK ENTREPRENEUR REFUSED THE USE OF WASHROOM AT A MONTREAL ULTRAMAR GAS STATIONMarlene Jennings joins The Red CoalitionJennings joins Red Coalition
July
August
'Screaming for change': Repentigny, Que. residents demand action on racial profiling at sit-inThe Roxboro lemonade stand takedownLaSalle couple wants racist comments investigated as a hate incidentViral video of racist rage in Montreal raises concern about climate of hate in QuebecMan appears on video shouting racist slurs at Montreal family, hate incident report being filedLa mairesse de Montréal dénonce des propos racistes tenus dans une vidéo virale«Va-t-en chez vous»: une engueulade raciste filmée à LaSallePolice investigating LaSalle confrontation as possible hate incidentCouple fears for safety after man hurls racist insults in front of their 8-year-old daughter
October
November
Civil rights group questions Montreal police conduct after officers wrongly detain Black man, misplace key to handcuffsPolice detention criticized as racial profilingMontreal cops should apologize to Black man suspected of stealing own car: groupBlack man handcuffed after car Montreal police thought was stolen ended up being hisUn groupe contre le racisme demande des excuses à la police de MontréalLongueuil, Que., given ultimatum on release of race-based traffic stop dataRacially-profiled man challenges Longueuil to present race-based police data, threatens suitRed Coalition takes legal action against city of Longueuil and police force‘Mistake No. 1 was putting him in handcuffs’| The Corner BoothInterpellations sans motif: un retour en arrière demandéRights groups call on Quebec not to appeal ruling on police checksProfilage racial : le gouvernement Legault prié de ne pas faire appelProfilage racial: Le gouvernement du Québec prié de ne pas faire appelCommunity groups urge Quebec to support end to random police stopsThe Red Coalition Mandates The Law Firm Grey Casgrain to Take Further Legal Action Against The City of LongueuilRed Coalition takes more legal action against City of Longueuil and its police forceCanada sees rise in homicides, Statistics CanadaRights groups optimistic about selection of Montreal police chief who opposes racial profilingFady Dagher promet un équilibre entre répression et préventionQuébec porte en appel l’interdiction des interceptions policières aléatoires sur la route
December
Black Montrealer says police racial profiling cost him his jobMan says stop by Laval police was racial profiling, files complaintCoalition filing complaints after driving while Black incident in LavalBlack Laval man alleges random police stop led to $667 fine, lost jobKay Family Demands AnswersRed Coalition filing complaint against Terrebonne police, claim Black man was racially profiledQuebec coalition filing racial profiling complaint against Terrebonne police over traffic stopBlack man fined, loses job after police profilingProfilage racial : À 29 ans, il dit avoir été arrêté plus de 10 fois par la police de TerrebonneQuebec Highway Code article 636 hotly debated in CDN
2021
June
July
Advocacy groups and the Red Coalition petition the Minister of Public Safety Canada, requesting the enactment of a legislation to prohibit racial profiling by law enforcementThe Red Coalition Endorses STOPMTL.ca Offering Full Support For Its New Interactive Self-Reporting Map, For Police Stops in MontrealRacial profiling petition calls for 500 signatures
August
Categories
no categories