Montreal protesters call for justice over death of indigenous woman
Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Canada’s second-most populous city, Montreal, against "systemic racism" in the death of an indigenous woman under controversial circumstances in a hospital this week.
The protesters gathered in the city's downtown on Saturday, demanding justice for Joyce Echaquan, a mother of seven, who died on Monday after seeking treatment for a stomach pain at Joliette Hospital in Montreal.
According to Press TV, the demonstrators were shouting "Justice for Joyce!" and "Racism is a virus.”
They were calling for the government to acknowledge the existence of systemic racism in Quebec Province and to take action to stop the discrimination indigenous people face.
Several speakers in the rally said the government has tools to act against racism, but hasn't put those into practice.
They were referring to a government commissioned report that found last year indigenous people faced systemic discrimination in public services across Quebec.
The Viens Commission said “prejudices against Indigenous peoples remain very widespread in interactions between caregivers and patients.”
Quebec’s health minister said last week that he had met with Paul-Emile Ottawa, Chief of Atikamekw of Manawan, — a First Nation community in Quebec — to discuss the commission’s recommendations as it pertained to the provincial healthcare network.
“We need to put necessary actions in place so that a situation like Joyce Echaquan’s never happens again,” said Christian Dube.
Echaquan, a woman from Atikamekw of Manawa, captured a video from her hospital bed on her cell phone and posted to Facebook, just hours before her death.
In the video, she is heard calling for help and screaming in pain, as two hospital staff insult her.
Echaquan’s family vowed on Friday to sue the hospital, saying that her death was the result of systemic racism in the country.
A lawyer representing her family, Jean-Francois Bertrand, said they were also filing a complaint with a provincial human rights commission and making a claim with a provincial body (IVAC) that investigates and offers compensation to victims of criminal acts.
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