The mural, in the gay village near the corner of Church and Wood Sts., is meant to celebrate the history, diversity and strength of Toronto’s LGBTQ community, according to a police news release.
But the protesters claim the media event, like the Toronto police chief’s public apology this week for the 1981 bathhouse raids, was a publicity stunt.
They are “PR tools used to mask the reality of police relations amongst the queer and trans community: black people, indigenous people, sex workers et cetera,” said Black Lives Matter co-founder Rodney Diverlus, 26, after disrupting the unveiling.
The reverend and gay rights activist, Brent Hawkes, tried to mediate between Black Lives Matter and the police, to no avail, according to the queer activist and journalist, Andrea Houston, who live tweeted the encounter.
Black Lives Matter is still waiting for the police to meet the demands it made after its tent city protest outside police headquarters on College St. this spring, Diverlus added.
At the time, the protesters called for a face-to-face meeting with Saunders and an overhaul of the Special Investigations Unit, the civilian agency that investigates serious crimes allegedly committed by officers.
Const. David Hopkinson, a police spokesperson, said the chief’s apology for the raids and the new mural aren’t empty gestures.
“I believe the chief was heartfelt in his apology for the bathhouse raids. He was sincere in his words.”
Rob
BLM is a group of racist mental midgets who can all go suck start a Howitzer 155.
Al
BLM are terrorists and for the head of the Toronto pride to exclude police is actually going against everything the lgbt community have fought for. Hypocrite
Pat
I’m getting a t shirt that says white lives matter, because white is a colour too
laura
Alll lives matter..not just any one minority..Also important to note that the first time we’ve ever had “all lives matter” shouted back at us was by a group of white queers…that’s a tweet from Rodney Diverlus calling people queer, who’s being racist?? You don’t intrude on one group’s day making the demand of wanting another group out. Sounds like the playground at school. But yet again who do they call upon when in trouble?? I guess NOT ONE of BLM group have ever called 911