"Vancouver are you still with us?"
Black Vancouver will host another anti-racism rally tomorrow evening in Jack Poole Plaza.
The rally is also in support of Jacob Blake - a 29-year-old man who was shot seven times by a White police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin last month, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
The rally will begin at 4 p.m. and is expected to continue until 7 p.m.
Supporters are asked to bring signs that are made out of old materials such as card board boxes and to wear dark clothing. They are also asked to wear masks and gloves, and to maintain a safe two-meter distance in the crowd.
"Hope to see all Allies, and Vancouverites all there," reads an Instagram post.
On Aug 1., protestors gathered in Jack Pool Plaza to mark Emancipation Day, the 186th anniversary of the day slavery was abolished in Canada and throughout the British Empire in 1834.
Prior to that, organizers Nova Stevens and Shamika Mitchell spoke to an attentive crowd at the Freedom from Hate march on June 18. Thousands of protestors marched through Downtown Vancouver in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and to celebrate "Juneteenth" - the day that marks the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved African Americans in the Confederacy.
Demonstrators marched from Jack Poole Plaza down Thurlow Street, as onlookers watched from nearby rooftops and balconies. A number of people cheered from the sidelines, while others proudly displayed Black Lives Matters banners from their homes.
At the front of the march, a speaker led a series of chants, including, “All lives cannot matter until black lives matter!” and, "No justice, no peace!"
When they reached their final destination, demonstrators gathered under a grey sky that threatened to rain, and, united by tragedy, they chanted about change, hope, and freedom.
Here are some of the personal stories they told Vancouver Is Awesome.
