A man was arrested Saturday after attending an anti-black racism rally in Toronto wearing blackface, according to Toronto Police, Canadian news organization Global News reported.
The man had showed up at an event in Nathan Phillips Square as protestors began marking to Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto. The man arrived with his face, neck, and hands all covered in black paint.
Blackface is considered offensive to the black community and the man was arrested for breach of the peace, Global News reported local police as saying.
Anti-racism protests have been spreading worldwide following the death of George Floyd in the US city of Minneapolis, after a police officer kneeled on Floyd’s neck for over eight minutes during the course of an arrest.
Protests have been particularly widespread in the US, where tens of thousands of Americans have taken to the streets to demand change following Floyd’s death.
Many of the protests have been peaceful, but some turned violent, with businesses looted, journalists attacked, and cars set on fire. Police forces have also been accused of using disproportionate violence against protesters and deliberately targeting journalists.
The protests continue despite most authorities advising people avoid large gatherings due to risk of infection of the coronavirus pandemic, with nearly seven million people infected worldwide.
Similar demonstrations inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement have sprung up in the UK, France, and Australia.
Read more:
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Watch: Thousands march on White House to protest violence by US police
Source: News https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/06/07/Man-arrested-at-Canadian-anti-black-racism-rally-after-arriving-in-blackface-Reports.html