A demonstration to bring attention to anti-Black racism is expected to draw more than 200 people to Couchiching Beach Park this weekend.
Jaime-Lea Tice is one of the organizers of the Justice for Black Lives rally, which will take place Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m.
“It’ll be a learning experience, a growing experience, something for the whole family,” Tice said. “It’ll raise awareness and it’ll also put change into action. Change is the goal.”
Protests and demonstrations have been widespread around the United States and the world since the death of George Floyd, a Black man, after an encounter with police in Minnesota, and Orillia should be involved in the conversation, Tice said.
“There’s a revolution happening in the world and Orillia needs to be a part of it. There are a lot of people here with privilege who don’t even realize they have privilege," said Tice.
"Something needs to be changed and this is one way to start it,” she said. “I’ve seen (racism) hurt the people that I love. This s--- keeps happening all the time. White people need to be advocating for them.”
Saturday’s demonstration won’t be the first of its kind in Orillia. About 17 people gathered last week at OPP General Headquarters to show solidarity with protesters in the United States. On the same day, Tice held a one-woman demonstration in front of the Orillia OPP detachment on Peter Street.
She had planned a similar event for Tuesday afternoon that would have started at the detachment, headed to city hall and ended near the alley across the library, where a Windigo painting of an Indigenous woman was recently defaced.
However, as interest in the demonstration grew, Tice realized it would be better to move it to the park and hold it on the weekend.
She is welcoming local politicians to attend Saturday’s demonstration.
“It would be good for them to come and listen, not necessarily speak. If they feel like they’re moved to speak, that’s OK, but only to tell them what they’re going to do, not just that they care about Black people,” she said. “As for police officers, I don’t want them there unless they’re going to kneel with us and fire every dirty officer there is.”
More information can be found on the event’s Facebook page.
