Justice For Regis Korchinski-Paquet, Help Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Justice for Regis Korchinski-Paquet, Help Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Hi everyone,

Mod Lesya here.

On May 27th, 2020, police were called on Regis Korchinski-Paquet to take her to the mental health hospital for treatment. Instead of receiving care, she was pushed off the balcony by police. The police are calling it “unfounded allegations” and have claimed her death as a suicide.

News about her death isn’t widespread, and the police coverup has been swift. There is a long racist history with Toronto police, and they are a notoriously corrupt police force even among police forces.

The story is: while her mother and brother waited in the hall, police entered the apartment. Her family heard her cry for help, silence, then police returning saying she fell to her death.

Canada has had sporadic protests in response, but I do not want her death to be downplayed by the situation in America. This is an international issue of police violence.

A History of Police Deaths in Canada

Police are just as corrupt, just as racist, and just as terrible in Canada as they are in America. This is being tagged as Black Lives Matter because it is primarily about Regis, and this section is to detail how her death is not an isolated incident of racialized violence by police.

Black and Indigenous people have been killed in Canada en masse either by police, or their deaths at the hands of others have been ignored by police. 

Toronto had a homophobic serial killer targeting black and brown men that was ignored by police for years.

Some high profile racialized deaths across Canada (primarily Indigenous and black immigrants)

Colton Boushie’s killer was allowed to walk free

While this isn’t specifically to Black lives, it shows that Canada’s justice system is not better than America’s. 

Protests

As far as I’m aware, most protests remained peaceful, and no violence has erupted. The protests are taking the form of vigils, primarily. Protests are also scheduled at later dates.

Montreal protests turned violent on June 1st at 8 pm, after 3 hours of peace, when police fired tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd. This protest is specifically being reported as one for George Floyd.

Violence in Canada has remained minimal, but most people are not aware of the death. Canada is beginning to spark in protests in solidarity with Black Lives Matter.

Ways to Help

If you are American, please focus on American relief efforts. They need it.

If you are Canadian, call/email:

City Councillor Gord Perks - Parkdale - High Park councillor_perks@toronto.ca / 416-329-7919

MPP Bhutilla Karpoche - Parkdale - High Park BKarpoche-CO@ndp.on.ca / 416-763-5639

MP Arif Virani - Parkdale - High Park Arif.Virani@parl.gc.ca / 416-769-5072

Mayor of Toronto John Tory mayor_tory@toronto.ca / 416-397-2489

Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders officeofthechief@torontopolice.on.ca / 416-808-2222

Solicitor General - Minister Sylvia Jones sylvia.jones@pc.ola.org / 416-325-0408 / 519-941-7751

Attorney General of Ontario Dough Downey doug.downey@pc.ola.org / attornygeneral@ontario.ca / 416-326-2220 / 705-726-5538

Special Investigations Unit of Toronto:  1-800-787-8529 OR 416-622-0748 https://www.siu.on.ca/en/contact.php Address concerns to SIU Director Joseph Martino

Ontario Ombudsman to conduct an independent investigation: info@ombudsman.on.ca

Find your local MPP https://www.ola.org/en/members/current/contact-information?fbclid=IwAR3tPJIxeYmUcc4U-GGv5shp4kFvHRbFfcT6VtqOhFhqDxJzfI_E-bWmXgk

Gofundme:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-regis

Sign the petition:

https://www.change.org/p/justice-for-regis-korchinski-paquet

More resources:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l0TGDdHJIO6FGkKNWBBXINUmfGSXdM8eK6eY2ZmrK8Q/mobilebasic