Skip to content

PHOTOS: Estimated 6,000 people join anti-racism Freedom March in Vancouver

The march was one of many events across North America to mark Juneteenth

Thousands took to the streets in Vancouver Friday (June 19) to participate in a Freedom March against racism, as one of the many events in North America celebrating Juneteenth.

Juneteenth began in 1865 in the U.S., celebrating the day that all enslaved black people learned they had been freed from bondage. It’s also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day.

The Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in the south in 1863 but it was not enforced in many places until after the end of the Civil War.

JUNETEENTH: A day of joy and pain – and now national action

This year, for many, the celebration served as more of a protest – coming at a time where citizens on both sides of the border are seeing a reckoning of systemic racism within policing, education and healthcare.

As of Thursday, organizers with the Movement for Black Lives said they had registered more than 275 Juneteenth weekend events across 45 states, through its website.

The Vancouver rally began at Jack Poole Plaza with emotional and courageous speeches, followed by a march to Sunset Beach. Organized by Shamika Mitchell and Nova Stevens, the march came two weeks after thousands gathered in the same area for an anti-Black racism protest.

On Friday, ports along the west coast of B.C. were quite, with International Longshore and Warehouse Union halting work for the better part of the day to support racial equality and social justice.


@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Want to support local journalism during the pandemic? Make a donation here.



About the Author: Ashley Wadhwani-Smith

I began my journalistic journey at Black Press Media as a community reporter in my hometown of Maple Ridge, B.C.
Read more