Organizers of Edmonton rally insist police have nothing to fear
'This is a peaceful gathering for people who are mourning'
The co-organizer of an Edmonton rally to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement says the purpose of the gathering "is completely peaceful."
"The Edmonton Police Service doesn't have to worry about us wanting to incite any sort of aggression," said Kassia Haynes. "This is a peaceful gathering for people who are mourning."
Haynes was referring to the shooting deaths in the United States this week of black men Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, along with a sniper attack Thursday night that killed five police officers in Dallas.
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The head of the Edmonton Police Association admitted he didn't sleep much after seeing news coverage of the violence in Texas.
"You see, police are being targeted," said Sgt. Maurice Brodeur. "I am so worried if a smidgen of that were to creep its way north."
Brodeur insisted the Canadian style of policing is much different than the American way.
"We are a stable, safe, well-policed country," he said. "The way we treat people is different. And I just hope that nobody wants to implicate our policing with the same situation down south."
Haynes agreed that policing in Canada is different than in the United States, and said Canadians are "very different than Americans," calling it "ludicrous" to equate the two.
"I know I feel much safer in Canada than I think I would feel in America," she said. "I feel much safer for my black family up in Canada than I do for friends down in America.
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But Haynes said there are people who do face racism in Canada.
"We can't look at Canada and say we are free of racism," she said. "That's also not true."
Police to play "minor" role at today's rally
Acting police chief Tony Harder said he has no concerns about Friday's rally. He said he's spoken to organizers and officers will play a "very minor" role when protesters gather today at Centennial Plaza in downtown Edmonton.
Sgt. Brodeur had some advice for officers assigned to monitor the rally.
"Be a Canadian police officer," he said. "Be professional. Be calm, cool and level-headed."
