The strike — which will last 22 minutes in honor of the 22 victims of the April 18 and 19 — will begin Monday at noon, local time.
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July 26, 2020 10: 02
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Murder-Nova Scotia : activists call for strike to demand a public inquiry
Jillian Kestler-D’amours
The Canadian Press
The defenders of the rights of women in atlantic Canada are asking people across the country to stop Monday to work for a short period of time in order to demand a public inquiry into the killing, which occurred in Nova Scotia in April.
The federal and provincial governments have announced this week that a group of experts, headed by former chief justice of Nova Scotia Michael MacDonald, examine the massacre that left 22 dead.
But Martha Paynter, founder of the group Women’s Wellness Within, said that this decision does not correspond to the wish of many people, including the families of the victims, who would have preferred an open, public inquiry.
“A systemic and structural shift must be as a result of these events,” argues Ms. Paynter, one of the organizers of this brief national strike.
The strike — which will last 22 minutes in honor of the 22 victims of the April 18 and 19 ± will begin on Monday at noon, local time. The supporters of a public inquiry will gather at Victoria park in Halifax. This event will be streamed live on Facebook.
“It was a horror, a trauma, which is huge for the whole country. The inadequate response of the government really should we enrage all”, said Ms. Paynter.
The families of the victims, women’s rights activists, lawyers and even members of the senate have urged governments to launch a public inquiry into the tragedy to know what happened and understand why.
The review committee is comprised of Mr. MacDonald, the former federal minister Anne McLellan and former chief of Fredericton police Leanne Fitch, has attracted many critics. He is criticized for not having enough powers, and lack of transparency.
An online petition demanding a public inquiry had been collected by Saturday afternoon more than 10 000 signatures. A group Facebook of Neo-Scottish supporter of such a forum had over 9000 members.
The federal and provincial governments have defended their decision, saying that it was the best way to quickly launch a review of the slaughter.
The prime minister of Nova Scotia, Stephen McNeil, has pointed out that the committee could ask the assistance of his government if he needed it.
According to Jenny Wright, another co-organizer of the strike on Monday, a public inquiry remains the best way to get to the bottom of things and avoid further killings.
“We need to conduct an investigation that examines the explicit links between misogyny, violence against women and the killing here, as elsewhere in Canada”, request-t-it.
