Article content

On May 24, it was reported that Montreal police officer Christian Gilbert faces charges of manslaughter for the 2016 death of Bony Jean-Pierre, a 46-year old Haitian man shot in the head with rubber bullets. While this is unexpected news — police officers are rarely charged in connection with the deaths of marginalized civilians — racial injustice is ongoing.

The last time that a police officer was charged criminally in connection with the death of a black person in Montreal was after Anthony Griffin was killed in 1987. (The officer was subsequently acquitted.) Looking at the response of black communities at the time makes clear just how little has changed since Griffin’s death. Signs from black community members at street protests in 1987 asked for a public inquiry, further demanding “Stop making being black a crime” and “hands off our black youth … don’t shoot.”

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Opinion: Racialized minorities in Montreal continue to suffer Back to video

Today, nearly 30 years later, black and racialized communities are making nearly identical demands, insisting on an end to racial profiling, police violence and economic inequality. They are asserting that our lives matter in a society whose actions suggest it believes otherwise.