Several people were injured after a man drove his truck against a small crowd marching to honor the victims and survivors of residential schools in BC.
The video provided to CTV News by Robert Jago, who attended and documented Saturday’s residential school recognition march, shows people of all ages, many in orange T-shirts, singing, playing drums and waving flags that say ” Every child cares. “
The march was to end on the grounds of the former Indian residential school in St. Mary’s a Mission BC. Two thousand children were transferred from their families to this institution, which was run by the Roman Catholic Church and later by the federal government. It did not close until 1984. Twenty-one children are known to have died while attending school, according to the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation.
Troy Ingradi was doing the traffic check for the march and described what happened.
“The truck picked up speed, there were kids in the right lane. I wanted to make sure the kids were okay so I passed the vehicle. It stopped, but then it went on and that’s when I ran. .finished, “he said.
The GRC of the Mission has confirmed that two people were taken to hospital with injuries and that the driver did not remain at the scene.
“A driver advanced through the group and made contact with approximately four people in the group, including the traffic control person and one of the organizers of the March,” the detachment said in a statement.
Mountities has not identified any suspects and has not made any arrests. “Thanks to numerous witnesses” they have facilitated the registration of the truck, according to a press release.
Although the investigation is in its early stages, the RCMP of the Mission described the driver as “impatient” and said that “there is no indication that this incident was targeted, or that the driver’s actions they had something to do specifically with the people who were leaving or their cause. “
“EXACTLY WHY WE’RE GOING”
March organizer Christopher Roberts is from the Sq’éwlets First Nation. He says what happened on Saturday was just one more example that shows that the work of truth and reconciliation is still incomplete in Canada.
“Things like what happened yesterday are exactly why we’re leaving,” he told CTV News.
“Before this impatient gentleman decided that he was going to run over one of our brothers and hit four of us, there were people who came very close to us through the traffic coming in the opposite direction and shouting racial insults. “It’s just that, that’s why we do it. That’s who we are. That’s why we need attention, why we need recognition, why we need the truth.”
He says the driver got dangerously close to where children and the elderly were going and did not try to slow down.
“He stepped on the accelerator and started flying towards us,” he said.
Although police say no one was seriously injured, Robertson says Ingraldi suffered a concussion.
The RCMP Mission’s response was frustrating for Robertson, who says only one officer came to the scene and was unable to take testimony from all witnesses. He also asks why the driver has not been arrested.
“There are actually a lot of really upset people. Especially because you know, this gentleman is still sitting at home,” he told CTV News.
“The really annoying part is that if it was me or one of our siblings who was behind the wheel and did this to someone else, we’d already be in jail and they’d throw the book at us.”
The RCMP Mission, in its press release, said they were “collecting as much evidence as possible” to determine which charges to recommend.