Police asked not to kneel during Calgary anti-racism rally

CALGARY (CityNews) – A Black Lives Matter Vigil held on Saturday saw over 4,000 people show up to remember and humanize black people who have died at the hands of police.

Although officers were welcome to attend they were asked one thing.

“What we requested was police do not participate.”

Adora Nwofor was one of the organizers and was in awe of it’s showing. She asked that police do their jobs to protect, but refrain from kneeling like they did in Edmonton on Friday.

“See what’s going on, but don’t kneel,” said Nwofor. “Because the person that sparked this, police kneeled on them. That’s not okay.”

One man CityNews spoke with at the vigil said internal training for police can be expanded.

“They need racism training, and they need de-escalation training.”

Calgary police posted online this week a description of the extensive diversity and de-escalation training an officer undergoes, and their plans to make it more regular.

Nwofor, however, said time and time again, it isn’t applied.

“I don’t think they need any more de-escalation or diversity training if they’re not going to apply it. Cause if somebody is on the ground, begging for breath, and dying, you could have de-escalated that.”

Nwofor said police do have a role at marches and protests and that’s to protect, but taking a knee is not the action the movement is ultimately looking for.

“We ask that you don’t kneel, you don’t chant, don’t participate, you allow this energy to be flowing through people who do not make a choice to be part of a policing system that disproportionately harms black and brown bodies.”