Saint John will see its first Black Lives Matter-related rally this coming weekend.
With protests against anti-black racism and police brutality extending well beyond their origins in the United States, marches reached New Brunswick last week, with demonstrators in Moncton and Fredericton joining those marching internationally.
Matthew Martin is among the organizers of the Saint John event. He says he, and many of the black Saint Johners he knows, experienced racism growing up in the city.
“A big thing for Saint John is (racism is) not really talked about,” Martin said. “It’s brushed off because we’re in Canada, we’re supposed to be so friendly, and so nice. But racism is here. It’s a real thing.”
Black Lives Matter was first used as a hashtag after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2013. Since, it’s seen spikes in visibility, most recently after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police prompted global demonstrations.
Money has poured in from celebrities and corporations in support of the demonstrations, and to help support Floyd’s family, including his young daughter.
The Saint John Black Lives Matter Movement is not an official chapter of the group, and is encouraging supporters to instead donate money to PRUDE Inc. locally, or the international Black Lives Matter group.
Martin says he didn’t used to be politically-minded, but the birth of his daughter, and the deaths of Floyd in Minneapolis and Regis Korchinski-Pacquet in Toronto inspired him to get involved in the anti-racism movement
“It kind of just hit me that maybe I’ve ignored (this) long enough, and it’s time to start doing something about it, and make my voice heard,” he said.
The group’s Facebook page has seen tremendous support, with more than 4,300 members joining within a week. White members in particular, have posted about recognizing their privilege more readily.
“You see a lot of our white population saying ‘I want to learn more, and I want to understand my white privilege, help our black community, and help to put out the fire that is racism,'” Martin said. “It’s really beautiful to see.”
Many in the group have also asked why the rally isn’t until nearly two weeks after demonstrations began in the United States.
Martin says that organizers had concerns about COVID-19, and also wanted to ensure they had the proper backing of the city’s police force.
Unlike many of the protests stateside, there is no anti-policing bend to the Saint John Black Lives Matter Movement. There are also rules against using anti-police terms like “ACAB” on the Facebook page.
Martin says the Saint John Police Force has “shown 100 per cent support” for the rally, and helped the group cut through red tape in gathering the correct permits. An officer has been established as a liaison between the city to aid this weekend’s event get off the ground.
“We’re trying not to call it a protest, because we’re not a protest,” Martin said. “We are a movement, and we don’t want this to be a one-off.”
In addition to wanting to ensure the rally is planned perfectly, Martin says he wants the movement not to burn out too quickly.
“It’s important that we have this movement, because it’s time to bring light to that racism. Enough’s enough,” Martin said. “We need to have our voices heard and get up there and stand up for what’s right right now.”
The Saint John Black Lives Matter Movement’s rally will take place Sunday, June 14 at 2:00 p.m. at King’s Square.
