Man Shows Up to Protest in Blackface, Walks Away in Handcuffs
Amid the Toronto crowd protesting against racism and police brutality on Saturday, there was one protester with a slightly different agenda.
As shown in videos posted to Twitter, one man joined the protest in blackface.
Wearing blackface is seen as a display of racial disrespect and intolerance. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was excoriated for wearing blackface in old photos that came to light last year, and Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam faced similar criticism over a blackface photo on his yearbook page.
The man who showed up Saturday as the Toronto demonstrators were gathered in Nathan Phillips Square told those whose tempers he ignited that he was “not trying to be disruptive.”
In the first of a series of videos posted on social media, the man was shown grinning as the protesters around him vented their outrage.
WARNING: The following videos contain vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive.
Tense moments at Nathan Phillips Square as someone dresses in blackface, thankfully police intervened. #TorontoProtest #toronto pic.twitter.com/5R5uPdNVqq
— Lucas Meyer (@meyer_lucas) June 6, 2020
As police moved to arrest him, the crowd grew and became angrier. The man talked with police officers who had come to remove him until a protester doused him with water.
Warning: language . The man was sprayed with water before being taken away by police. #Toronto #Torontoprorest pic.twitter.com/EHEgx4d1nf
— Lucas Meyer (@meyer_lucas) June 6, 2020
More of him being taken away. #June6th #Toronto pic.twitter.com/ATjQAMbby8
— Lucas Meyer (@meyer_lucas) June 6, 2020
Context: a circle was made with some chants from those in the middle. He walked in, turned towards #TORONTO sign, crossed arms, middle fingers up. People were shocked realizing what was happening and moved in. He said it was freedom of speech as he was taken away. #TorontoProtest
— Lucas Meyer (@meyer_lucas) June 7, 2020
Police initially said the man, whose name was not given, was arrested and charged with breach of the peace.
They later revised that to say no charges had yet been filed.
During the protests, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders knelt with the marchers protesting racism, according to CP24.
“The last few days have been such a confirmation of sort of who we are and what we are as a city,” Toronto Mayor John Tory said Sunday. “I thank everybody for the fact that it was so peaceful and [people were] so emphatic about [their] heartfelt feelings.”
I acknowledge there is much more to do in order to reach that goal. I encourage people to take time this weekend to think about what they can do in their own lives and in their own actions to help us to confront anti-black racism and to stop it.
— John Tory (@JohnTory) June 5, 2020
Toronto will now provide staff training on reducing anti-black racism, Tory said.
“When I sat down with some of our senior city staff, the people who have risen the highest who are black in our city organization, and heard some of their stories of how their careers have been difficult for them get to the top, you sort of become less satisfied with the fact that they made it to the top and more concerned about the fact that there were so many obstacles in the way,” Tory said, according to CP24.
“We are going to try to reduce those. We are going to try to address the fact that a lot of young people in the black communities across Toronto don’t have the same access to job opportunities. That is something that automatically puts them behind the eight ball,” he said.
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