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To: Vancouver Police Department

Stop systemic racism against Indigenous peoples

Vancouver Police Department must acknowledge systemic racism and commit to invest in anti-racism training to prevent practices harmful to BIPOC members and the public.

Why is this important?

On Dec. 20, 2019 Maxwell Johnson and his 12 year-old granddaughter, Torianne, were racially profiled and handcuffed after trying to open a bank account at a BMO branch in Vancouver.

What happened to Max and Tori was terrible and shocking, but unfortunately it was just one example of the spectrum of racism Indigenous people face in Canada everyday.

Whether it’s being denied service at a restaurant, being followed by security guards in a grocery store, or being made the subject of racist jokes and slurs by staff, Indigenous people, and other people of colour, experience racism on a regular basis.

These seemingly isolated incidents connect to much deeper patterns of colonial violence and systemic racism against Indigenous people, including Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and the recent forced removal of Wet’suwet’en people from their homelands. This racism dates to the creation of Canada itself and continues to the present day.

It is all connected, and it must stop now.

We need to hold institutions accountable for systemic racism. Visible minorities are under constant threat of racial profiling by organizations, and discrimination by police. We are launching this campaign to seek justice for Indigenous Peoples and communities, and so that other people of colour can feel safe.

How it will be delivered

Signatures will be delivered by email to:

Adam Palmer, Chief Constable, Vancouver Police Department
Mayor Kennedy Stewart, Police Board Chair
David Eby, Attorney General of BC
Independent Investigator's Office of BC

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Updates

2021-06-16 12:26:06 -0400

To help fight racism and to fundraise for the legal challenge, Maxwell Johnson and the Heiltsuk Nation have launched an anti-racism campaign titled, Strong as Cedar, inviting others to share their experiences of systemic racism in Canada.

“Today, we are asking people from all walks of life to come together to help us fight systemic racism,” said Maxwell Johnson. “By sharing our stories, we can hold police to account, and make sure everyone feels safe. It doesn’t matter what colour you are - we are all one.”

Find out how you can get involved as an anti-racist ally at Strong As Cedar: https://www.strongascedar.ca/support-strongascedar/

2021-06-07 20:01:51 -0400

1,000 signatures reached

2021-06-06 18:22:57 -0400

500 signatures reached

2021-06-06 14:42:59 -0400

100 signatures reached

2021-06-04 15:40:39 -0400

50 signatures reached

2021-06-04 00:24:10 -0400

25 signatures reached

2021-05-23 22:07:07 -0400

10 signatures reached