"I'm tired." Hamilton city councillor Matthew Green said it again and again in his speech. Tired of injustice, of inequality, of fear. "But when we leave here tonight, we'll leave together."

A crowd of at least 80 gathered on Saturday evening in solidarity with victims of police violence. They met on the south side of Victoria Park in the evening, with police officers on bicycles patrolling the surrounding sidewalks.

The primary organizers, Iesha McCurdy and Sarah Jama, co-presidents of McMaster Womanists, said they were motivated by the recent spate of violence involving the black community in North America. Videos capturing black people being shot by police have caused an uproar in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Black Lives Matter Toronto was criticized for disrupting the Toronto Pride Parade.

McCurdy and Jama organized this vigil to mourn for victims, and also to call attention to "practices that have racism embedded in them," McCurdy said.

In Hamilton, some activists have criticized police for carding, a practice they say unfairly targets minorities. Its critics include Green, Hamilton's first black city councillor, who was questioned by police himself while waiting for a bus.

The tone of the gathering was serious but hopeful. Organizers said they were pleased with the turnout, and especially with the racial diversity of the crowd. Speakers talked about strategies for improving relations between minorities and the police. Green promised to lend them his support.

"My hope for tonight," he said, "is that people don't read the headline 'against police brutality' and only listen to 'against police.' Anyone who was here tonight would have seen something beautiful."

dave.beatty@cbc.ca | @dbeatty