Black Lives Matter Canada - update

Kathleen Wynne meets with Black Lives Matter protestersPremier Kathleen Wynne met with more than 100 Black Lives Matter protesters rallying at Queen’s Park on Monday.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne left Queen's Park on Monday to speak with more than 100 Black Lives Matter protesters.

Saying she had heard their anger about the police treatment of minorities, Premier Kathleen Wynne met with more than 100 Black Lives Matter protesters rallying at Queen’s Park on Monday.

In an unusual move, the premier – flanked by her security detail and three cabinet ministers – emerged from the front door of the legislature to address the chanting demonstrators.

“I am here because I think this is such an important issue,” Wynne told the crowd gathered in the snow.

“In my heart I believe that we all need to work together to make sure we get this right. The reason I’m out here is I want you to understand that,” she said.

Black Lives Matter activists – who have been staging a sit-in protest at Toronto police headquarters since March 20 after the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) decided not to charge the unnamed officer who shot and killed 45-year-old Andrew Loku last year – demonstrated at Wynne’s North Toronto home last week.

As the protesters chanted “give us the name, give us the name” of the officer in the Loku slaying, Wynne stressed she could not discuss specific cases.

“We are undertaking a review of the SIU. We are reviewing all the police oversight bodies. We need your help in doing that,” the premier said.

Wynne noted she recently launched Ontario’s anti-racism directorate and takes concerns about discrimination seriously.

The tense session near police barricades outside the Legislative Assembly lasted about seven minutes.

It’s the first time in many years that an Ontario premier has held an impromptu face-to-face meeting with protesters.

She was accompanied by Attorney General Madeleine Meilleur, Community Safety Minister Yasir Naqvi, and Culture Minister Michael Coteau, who is overseeing the new anti-racism directorate.

Black Lives Matter organizer Janaya Khan said “it’s an important step” to speak with Wynne.

“But I think thus far we’ve seen failures and broken promises and a lack of transparency so we’re going to be there and we’re going to show and hope that our demands are met,” said Khan.