Canada: shocked video of aboriginal chief arrested

Text by: RFI Follow

The recent suspicious deaths of indigenous people or their beating by the police are causing controversy in the country, in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement. Just since the beginning of the month, two members of the Amerindian communities died during a police intervention that went wrong. Videos of police beating an Inuit and an Aboriginal chief were posted on social media.

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With our correspondent in Quebec, Pascale Guéricolas

Demonstrators marched through several cities in eastern Canada in memory of a young Native American woman killed by police after calling them for help in the middle of the night. Friday evening, a native of the Mi'kmaq ethnic group armed with a knife fell under the bullets of a police officer who intervened in a home. Very moved, the head of the Mi'kmaq community, Bill Ward, wonders about this drama on social networks

"  The RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] is currently developing its communications strategy to try to justify what they did," he explains. A team from Quebec will investigate. I can guarantee you that they will conclude that they have nothing to be ashamed of. Normal, it is the police who are investigating the police. And the police protect themselves.  "

Trudeau "  shocked  " by the muscular arrest of an Aboriginal chief

The RCMP has also been the subject of controversy since several videos of its muscular interventions circulated. One shows an Aboriginal chief beaten by two police officers.

This video even made Prime Minister Justin Trudeau react .

"  We must have answers on this particular case, " said the head of government. We also want to understand why so many aboriginal and minority youth in Canada are afraid when they come into contact with the police. These are the kinds of problems that need to be addressed. And we will work on it together.  "

The movement against police brutality therefore seems to be gaining momentum in Canada.

► Read also: Canadian Foreign Minister on RFI: "We must act collectively" against racism

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• Canada
• Racism
• Justin Trudeau

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