Tamil Canadians organized a socially distanced car rally in solidarity with the Pottuvil to Polikandi (P2P) protests in the Tamil homeland.
Over 2000 cars were seen in Brampton, Ajax, Mississauga and Markham, all with a final destination of Queenspark, Toronto.
The protestors aired their support for Tamils in the homeland who took part in a walk for justice from "‘Pottuvil to Polikandi," which aimed to press the United Nations and international community to heed Tamil calls for justice and accountability. The march was endorsed by all Tamil political parties, as well as by Tamil and Muslim civil society organisations and Muslim leaders. However, the campaign was met with a brutal crackdown from the Sri Lankan state, with troops and police disrupting and threatening marchers.
Brampton councillor Harkirat Singh attended the Brampton car rally in solidarity with the P2P to show his support for the Tamil community stating, “We stand shoulder to shoulder with the [Tamil] community, we'll continue to raise their voices whether it be regarding the genocide, unaccounted people or political prisoners, we're here to continue to be a voice and advocate on your behalf.”
Councillor @iHarkiratSingh supported the rally saying, "We stand shoulder to shoulder with the [Tamil] community, we'll continue to raise their voices... regarding the genocide, unaccounted people & political prisoners, we're here to... be a voice and advocate on your behalf.” pic.twitter.com/ib6uQmmTVA
— Tamil Guardian (@TamilGuardian) February 7, 2021
Councillor Harkirat Singh also mentioned Brampton’s plans to build a local Mulivaikkal memorial in honour of the memorial, which was destroyed at Jaffna University.
In January, at a Canadian virtual Thai Pongal and Tamil Heritage month event, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated, “Peace in Sri Lanka cannot be achieved without accountability. Canada remains committed to seeking reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka and will continue to work with our partners in the core group in the UN Human Rights Council to help achieve lasting peace and stability.”
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