Hard questions about systemic racism, accountability asked of Thunder Bay police after pre-inquest hearing
Reaction has been swift after lawyers for Thunder Bay police argued to exclude video surveillance of an Indigenous man being dragged inside the police station from an upcoming inquest on Thursday.
Social Sharing
Thunder Bay police filed motion to exclude video from inquest into custody deaths of two Indigenous men
Posted: Jan 16, 2021 6:00 AM ET | Last Updated: January 16
A virtual hearing was held Thursday to argue whether video footage of officers dragging an Indigenous man through the Thunder Bay police station should be admitted as evidence in an upcoming coroner s inquest into the police custody deaths of Don Mamakwa and Roland McKay.(Marc Doucette/CBC)
Share on Twitter
Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack has doubled down on comments he made comparing the recent Capitol riot to last year s Black Lives Matter protests, after an international human rights group called on him to withdraw the deeply offensive statements.
Hundreds of pro-Trump protesters swarmed the Capitol building on Thursday last week, as a joint session of Congress worked to certify the results of the 3 November election. The riot prompted the evacuation of politicians from the Senate floor, resulted in five deaths, and temporarily halted the democratic process.
Mr McCormack told ABC s RN on Monday the riot at Capitol Hill was unfortunate , and similar to those race riots that we saw around the country last year , immediately sparking backlash online.
ABC News
Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest?
OffOn
Australia acting PM equates Capitol attack with BLM protests
Australiaâs acting prime minister has defended his comments comparing the attack on the U.S. Capitol building with Black Lives Matter protests despite criticism from Indigenous and human rights groups
By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press
January 12, 2021, 6:34 AM
⢠3 min read
The Associated Press
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack listens during question time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra on Dec. 7, 2020. Acting prime minister McCormack on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021 defended his comments comparing the attack on the U.S. Capitol building with Black Lives Matter protests despite criticism from Indigenous and human rights groups. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)
Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack has continued to come under fire for calling the U.S Black Lives Matter protests racial riots , and using the term All Lives Matter when defending his comments.
On Monday, Mr McCormack told ABC Radio the violence at Capitol Hill, which left five people dead, was unfortunate and similar to those race riots that we saw around the country last year.
Today he doubled down on the remarks, saying both the Black Lives Matter movement and the Washington riots should be condemned . It involves violence. It involves the destruction of property. It involves deaths of people, and any violence of that form is condemned. any form of violence, any form of protest that ends in death and destruction is abhorred. he told ABC News.
Aussie acting PM defends Capitol attack comments
AP, CANBERRA
Australia’s acting prime minister yesterday defended his comments comparing the attack on the US Capitol building with Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, despite criticism from Indigenous and human rights groups.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, who is acting as the Conservative government’s leader while Prime Minister Scott Morrison is on vacation, has come under widespread criticism since Monday, when he described last week’s insurrection on Capitol Hill that claimed five lives as “similar to those race riots that we saw around the country last year.”
McCormack, who leads the rural-based The Nationals junior coalition partners, used several television and radio interviews to reject calls for an apology over his comparison.