Protest in Edmonton demanding justice for Mathios Arkangelo
Posted September 22, 2024 10:15 am.
Families, community members and local organizations came together at McIntyre Park near Whyte Ave. on Saturday, organizing a protest demanding justice for the death of the Mathios Arkangelo who was fatally shot by Edmonton police in June of this year.
“I’m going through a lot,” said his mother, Anna Odo. “My family go through a lot.”
“It’s difficult to explain after losing my son.”
People march around Whye Ave., still feeling the impact of the 28-year-old’s death.
“The way the police did to my son,” said Odo. “He could do something different than what they did, he could jail him.”
“The way, the police murdered my son in front of kids while they are playing the basketball,” she added. “In their house, in a community, like my son was nothing.”
Following the protest, the community is now demanding:
- A thorough investigation by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team
- The suspension of the officer involved in the incident
- Public acknowledgement of the video that documents the entire interaction
- The removal of Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee
“He continues politically maneuver around the situation,” said Haruun Ali, community organizer. “Especially with the situations where there are deaths involved, police violence and justifies it by saying it’s the nature of the job.”
“We just saw it again with the chief’s defense statement against the family’s lawsuit where he is basically saying the officers did everything according to EPS handbook and training,” added Ali. “I don’t know what’s happening down there but I think that’s a danger for the community.”
“It shows why we’re protesting.”
According to the tracking-in-justice website, Alberta has 121 deaths involving police use of force from 2000 to 2022.
In Edmonton alone, there have been 44 police-related deaths from the year 2000 up until this year.
CityNews reached out to Edmonton Police for comment but didn’t hear back in time for broadcast.
The organization Justice for Mathios created two online petitions and plans to be sent to the City of Edmonton and Alberta Government once it reaches the goal.
