Calgary Black Lives Matter protest organizer to police: don’t kneel

CALGARY (CITYNEWS) – A Black Lives Matter vigil organizer in Calgary is asking police not to participate in the protests – and that includes kneeling.

Adora Nwofor is asking Calgary police to refrain from kneeling – like officers did in Edmonton on Friday – because it disrespects George Floyd’s death.

She is asking police to do their jobs and protect protesters, but not participate.

“See what’s going on, but don’t kneel,” said Nwofor. “Because the person that sparked this, police kneeled on them. That’s not okay.

“We ask that you don’t kneel, you don’t chant, don’t participate. Allow this energy to be flowing through people who do not make a choice to be part of a policing system that disproportionately harms black and brown bodies.”

Calgary’s Black Lives Matter demonstration on Saturday saw more than 4,000 people show up to remember and humanize black people who have died at the hands of police.

Calgary police posted online this week a description of the extensive diversity and de-escalation training an officer undergoes, and their plans to make it more regular.

But Nwofor says time and time again, that training isn’t put to use.

“I don’t think they need any more de-escalation or diversity training if they’re not going to apply it,” she said. “Because if somebody is on the ground, begging for breath, and dying, you could have de-escalated that.”