Defunding the Police

“I can't breathe” …yet again are the words heard around the world. Words which bellowed out of the mouths of George Floyd and Eric Garner, both of whom were Black victims of extrajudicial killing at the hands of police. Words that originate deep in the soul of the Black experience. “I can't breathe” is the response uttered far too often by those who live at the intersection of being Black and being policed, or being Black and policed while suffering from a mental health crisis. In the case of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police while sleeping in her bed, she never had the chance to even utter the words.

The membership of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) Canadian Chapter also struggles to catch our breath as we mourn in anguish over the police-involved deaths of Canadians such as Regis Korchinski-Paquet, D’Andre Campbell, Andrew Loku and others. Our membership continues to wait for justice for Dafonte Miller, whose left eye was beaten out by the hands of an off-duty Toronto police officer. The senseless violence and brutality against Black people at the hands of police exists both north and south of the border between Canada and the United States. We are plagued by the effects of systemic racism. The sheer volume of reports spreading across news outlets and social media has brought many members of society to their breaking point.

Across multiple cities around the globe, people have taken to the streets and held rallies in support of the Black community to denounce racism, to proclaim that Black Lives Matter, and to denounce the barbaric actions of these and countless other police officers against the community. Even in the face of a global Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a strong showing of solidarity with the Black community renewing the conversation about race, the origins of policing, and the unacceptable level of racial profiling and violence at the hands of police.

“Defund the police” is the collective cry heard from around the world. Words which mean different things to different people. To some those words mean to eliminate the police budget and move forward without police. To others those words are interpreted as reducing police budgets and reallocating funds elsewhere within the community. (More information is available at defundthepolice.org and at tiny.cc/4bw5qz)

CBTU Canada adds its voice to the voices of those calling for defunding the police. We stand in support of reducing the allocation of federal, provincial and municipal police budgets and reallocating these funds towards non-police interventions, community-based-service interventions, and health-service interventions. These reallocations and changes to the policing construct can only succeed if the end solutions are geared towards fighting against systemic racism and servicing the community, placing value on all black lives which is too often not there.

The current policing construct has left the Black community with the belief that there will be little or no consequences for the taking of, or the severely injuring of, a Black life. It is further the position of CBTU Canada that until there are real consequences for such actions, future generations will continue to experience this pain.

CBTU Canada adds its collective voice to the calls of those seeking justice and appropriate consequences for all Black lives wrongfully killed or injured at the hands of police. We stand with Black Live Matter (BLM) in our common aim to “dismantle all forms of state-sanctioned oppression, violence, and brutality committed against African, Caribbean, and Black cis, queer, trans, and disabled populations.” While we often hear the names of Black men that suffered at the hands of police, in Canada research has shown that Black women were found to be three times more likely than white women to have been stopped by police. It is Black girls that are three times more likely than white girls to have been arrested two or more times. While there have been rallies calling for an end to racism and chanting Black Lives Matter, there have also been rallies that finally began to focus on the plight and vulnerabilities of the Black LGBTQ+ community.

Multiple Black Trans Lives Matter rallies were held to demand justice and fair treatment after two Black trans women -- Dominique "Rem'Mie" Fells, 27, of Philadelphia, and Riah Milton, 25, of Cincinnati, Ohio -- were murdered. There have been multiple reported murders of trans and gender non-conforming people since the start of 2020.

Although it was Marsha P. Johnson, a Black trans woman, who lead the June 28, 1969 Stonewall Riots in NY, and Black queer people who were leaders in initial protests following the Toronto Bathhouse Raids of 1981 where police arrested hundreds of people, Black and queer people of colour continue to fight against racism and discrimination within the modern-day queer rights movement, racism and discrimination from police, and bias and discrimination from within the Black community. CBTU Canada is adamant that the fight for Black lives must be inclusive of all Black lives. It was Black Lives Matter that organized a sit-in at the 2016 Pride Parade in Toronto to demand that police no longer walk in the parade, due to Toronto police’s history of brutality towards the queer community. Although they do not walk in the parade, the brutality towards Black lives has continued.

CBTU Canada would like to thank all our allies in the fight against systemic racism and the fight for true and meaningful police reform, particularly those of a common plight. We must move the politicians beyond the rhetoric and demand real and immediate change: DEFUND THE POLICE.

Until the Black life is valued as much as the non-Black life there will be no justice and there can be no peace.

CBTU-Canada Executive Board

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CBTU Canada - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

(Le français suit / French follows…)

To Allies,

September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists - Canada (CBTU) community stands in solidarity with Indigenous Nations across Turtle Island. We honour the survivors of residential schools, remember the children who never returned home, and recognize the enduring strength, resilience, leadership, and sovereignty of Indigenous communities.

We also recognize that the history of Indigenous peoples and Nations has never been defined by the borders imposed through colonization. Long before the creation of Canada and the drawing of colonial boundaries, Indigenous Nations had their own territories, laws, governance, cultures, languages, and relationships with the land. These imposed borders are part of a colonial system that disrupted and continues to impact Indigenous peoples, communities, and Nations.

As displaced peoples of African descent, we acknowledge the generations of Indigenous peoples who have cared for and stewarded these lands for thousands of years. We recognize that reconciliation requires more than words—it demands truth, accountability, justice, and meaningful action.

The adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) by the UN General Assembly on September 13, 2007, affirmed the rights of Indigenous peoples and provides an important framework for advancing reconciliation. When the declaration was first adopted, Canada voted against UNDRIP. Canada changed their position over time through advocacy.

The Grassy Narrows River Run protest on September 23, 2026, reminds us that environmental justice and Indigenous rights remain urgent and ongoing concerns.

As we recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, CBTU-Canada acknowledges that, a decade after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released its 94 Calls to Action significant work remains to be done. Many of those calls are not yet fulfilled, underscoring the urgent need for governments, institutions, and the labour movement to move beyond words and take meaningful action.

We encourage our members and allies to learn, listen, and take action in support of Indigenous rights and justice. We also recognize the importance of resources such as the Canadian Labour Congress Indigenous Rights and Justice Resource Center in strengthening education and solidarity within the labour movement.

Truth must lead to justice. Reconciliation must lead to action.

In solidarity,

The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) - Canada

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CBTU-Canada : Journée nationale de la vérité et de la réconciliation

À nos alliés,

Le 30 septembre, en cette Journée nationale de la vérité et de la réconciliation, la communauté de la Coalition des syndicalistes Noirs (CBTU) exprime sa solidarité avec les nations Autochtones de toute l’île de la Tortue. Nous rendons hommage aux survivants des pensionnats, nous nous souvenons des enfants qui ne sont jamais rentrés chez eux et nous reconnaissons la force, la résilience, le leadership et la souveraineté inébranlables des communautés Autochtones.

Nous reconnaissons également que les peuples et les nations Autochtones n’ont jamais été définis par les frontières imposées par la colonisation. Bien avant la création du Canada et le tracé des frontières coloniales, les nations Autochtones avaient leurs propres territoires, lois, modes de gouvernance, cultures, langues et liens avec la terre. Ces frontières imposées font partie d’un système colonial qui a bouleversé et continue d’avoir des répercussions sur les peuples, les communautés et les nations Autochtones.

En tant que peuples déplacés d’origine Africaine, nous rendons hommage aux générations de peuples Autochtones qui ont pris soin de ces terres et en ont assuré la gestion pendant des milliers d’années. Nous reconnaissons que la réconciliation exige plus que des mots : elle exige la vérité, la responsabilisation, la justice et des mesures concrètes.

L’adoption de la Déclaration des Nations Unies sur les droits des peuples Autochtones (UNDRIP) par l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies le 13 septembre 2007 a affirmé les droits des peuples Autochtones et fournit un cadre important pour faire avancer la réconciliation. Lors de l’adoption de cette déclaration, le Canada a voté contre l’UNDRIP, puis ont revu leur position pour l'accepter.

La prochaine manifestation « Grassy Narrows River Run », prévue le 23 septembre 2026, nous rappelle que la justice environnementale et les droits des peuples Autochtones demeurent des enjeux urgents et persistants.

À l’occasion de la Journée nationale de la vérité et de la réconciliation, le CBTU-Canada reconnaît que, dix ans après la publication par la Commission de vérité et de réconciliation de ses 94 appels à l’action, un travail considérable reste à accomplir. Bon nombre de ces appels n’ont pas encore été mis en œuvre, ce qui souligne le besoin urgent pour les gouvernements, les institutions et le mouvement syndical d’aller au-delà des paroles et de prendre des mesures concrètes.

Nous encourageons nos membres et nos alliés à s’informer, à écouter et à agir en faveur des droits et de la justice Autochtones. Nous reconnaissons également l’importance de ressources telles que le Centre de ressources sur les droits et la justice autochtones pour renforcer l’éducation et la solidarité au sein du mouvement syndical.

La vérité doit mener à la justice. La réconciliation doit mener à l’action.

En solidarité,

La Coalition des syndicalistes Noirs (CBTU) – Canada

UNITED NATIONS (UN) INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT

August 31, 2026

Today, August 31, we join people around the world in recognizing the United Nations’ International Day for People of African Descent.

Today is a day to celebrate our history, resilience, achievements and contributions. But it is also a day to confront history honestly.

For the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) - Canada, recognition must be accompanied by truth, accountability and action.

Canada has a history connected to the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and the institution of slavery. That history must be acknowledged—not to assign guilt to Canadians today, but to recognize the truth of what happened and understand its continuing consequences.

That is why CBTU Canada launched its campaign calling on the Government of Canada to formally acknowledge Canada’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and issue a federal apology.

An apology cannot undo the past. But it can acknowledge the truth, honour those who suffered, and help establish a foundation for meaningful reconciliation and justice.

The United Nations has made clear that the legacy of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade demands recognition, justice and action.

Nations have a responsibility to ensure the full and equal treatment, dignity and protection of people of African descent in the societies and countries they have profoundly contributed to building and developing economically. This responsibility includes strengthening laws, policies and institutions to eliminate the racial discrimination, inequality and systemic barriers that continue to affect people of African descent, including in countries where they were brought through enslavement, forced migration or other forms of coercion. Recognition of these contributions must be accompanied by concrete measures to protect human rights, advance equality and address the enduring consequences of racial injustice.

Canada should not stand outside that conversation.

On this International Day for People of African Descent, CBTU Canada renews its call:

Canada must recognize its history.
Canada must acknowledge its responsibility.
Canada must apologize.

Remembering must lead to recognition.
Recognition must lead to accountability.
And accountability must lead to action.

CBTU Canada remains committed to the campaign for recognition, justice and an official federal apology.

In solidarity

The Executive Board of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) - Canada

International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition — August 23

(Le français suit / French follows…)

August 23 is more than a date. It is a day to remember the courage, resistance and determination of those who challenged a system built on the trafficking and enslavement of Africans and their descendants.

The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition reminds us that history is not simply something to be remembered; it is something that continues to shape the societies we live in today. The legacy of slavery is reflected in the institutions, policies, inequalities and experiences that continue to affect Black communities.

Remembrance must therefore be accompanied by recognition, accountability and action. Honouring those who resisted slavery means confronting the historical realities that continue to influence the present and ensuring that future generations inherit a more just society.

This is why the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists–Canada continues to call on the Government of Canada to acknowledge its role in the trafficking and enslavement of Africans and to issue a formal federal apology. Our national apology campaign is part of a broader effort to advance recognition, accountability and reparatory justice.

On August 23rd, we remember those who endured. We honour those who resisted. And we recommit ourselves to the work of building a future grounded in justice, equality and dignity for all.

In remembrance. In recognition. In action.

The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) Canada Executive Board